


Becoming Partners

by wander_and_wonder



Series: Becoming... [1]
Category: Prodigal Son - Fandom
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Dani Powell Whump, Dani's Past, F/M, Panic Attacks, Protective Malcolm Bright, Slow Burn, Stalking, Swearing, Team as Family, capable Dani Powell, capable Malcolm Bright, discussions/depictions of past child abuse, trust issues explained
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:07:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 79,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26239819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wander_and_wonder/pseuds/wander_and_wonder
Summary: Everyone has a story. Everyone’s story is complex. When Dani’s past comes roaring into the present, the team finds out just how complicated Dani’s life has been.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright & Dani Powell, Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Series: Becoming... [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2091774
Comments: 86
Kudos: 169





	1. Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> Throughout the story, I osculate between calling Malcolm by his first name and last. I tend towards Bright when he is interacting largely with either Dani, Gil, or JT, which is the majority of the time. When he’s with his family, I tend towards Malcolm.

Understanding was slow to happen. “It’s ok Ainsley.” She twitched slightly. Her eyes focusing in and out on her brother’s form. Panic danced in her eyes then disappeared, pushed back into the shadows. Malcolm stepped closer, “It’s going to be ok.” His breath quickened and hand trembled. He looked around, feeling panic crash over him like a wave leaving in its wake a strange clearing of the mind. Hyper focus came next. “I need you to trust me Ains.” Not expecting a reply, he pulled out his phone. 

“Dani, I need to you come to my mother’s house. Alone.” He took a deep breath, struggling not to let his words tumble out. Focus. “I know you’re heading up the raids. I need JT to do that and I need you here.” He paused, “Please.” A wince contorted his face. He heard the faint thread of panic and he was sure Dani could to. A vice released in his chest as she agreed. 

Dani was coming. Now all he needed was a plan.  
\------  
Dani crept quickly around back; her gun drawn. Bright’s tone and request had set her on edge. She slowed as she started to move down the side wall of the house, ducking past darkened windows towards faint lights emanating onto a shadowed garden. Stopping next to a garden trellis, shadows danced over her face as she glanced back. Endicott’s driver bobbed his head to his music and flipped through his phone as he sat across the street. Endicott was here, in Mrs. Whitly’s house… but if he had muscle with him, Bright would have tried a little harder to warn her. 

_Please._ Something was very wrong. The tone had been both cold and trembling, like a shudder being forced back down his throat. 

She continued her slow movement across the outside wall. _Call for backup._ She paused, her fingers twitching towards her phone. _See how many there are and then direct the action._ A police Lieutenant had been attacked. Word was out that one of their own was fighting for his life. Blood was in the water. Her hand twitched again as she imagined the damage another raid could do if others learned those responsible may be inside. _See what is happening. Then call it in. Direct the action._

Dani inched farther into the garden, raising her gun up and close to her body, she came to a set of French doors. Peering in, she saw a small hallway. Part of Bright’s back could be seen to the right near where the hallway met the living room. She moved her head around trying to look past him. He didn’t seem concerned for his safety. Squatted down a bit, he was leaning over someone sitting in a chair. Dani pursed her lips. A flash of blonde hair could be seen as she lifted to her tiptoes. _Ainsley._

A flare of worried annoyance rose up and, just as quickly, Dani tamped it down. She couldn’t see enough of the living room. Bright’s body and the angle of the trellis was largely blocking her view. Dani looked around for another vantage point. She paused lowering her gun a bit. There was a window about 20 ft ahead but she’d have to cross the doors. She could be seen.

Bright didn’t seem to be looking anywhere but at his sister. She felt worried frustration rise again; Bright’s _please_ ringing in her ears. If only she could see in further. 

She shook her head and straightened her shoulders. Something happened. Resetting, she lifted her gun back up, her left arm inching down. Dani reached for the door handle and quietly tested it. Surprised when it gave way unlocked, a tangled thought rose unbidden. _Rich people and their safe neighborhoods._

Slowly, she made her way in, scanning away from Bright first to make sure no one was behind him. 

“Bright,” Dani’s whisper was firm and tense even to her own ears. 

Malcolm’s body jerked in shock; he whirled around, automatically falling into a fighting stance. “Dani!” Quickly, he adjusted himself, standing further in front of Ainsley.

Dani’s eyes roamed, scanning for threats, only briefly resting on Bright. “Where’s Endicott and his guys?” She whispered. 

Bright cocked his head just slightly, catching up to Dani’s train of thought. Spine straightening to his usual erect posture, fingers tugging on the sleeves of his black sweater, he spoke, “It’s ok. Endicott was here alone and is…Well, he’s not a threat.” Malcolm shifted, taking a step towards Dani. Eyeing her gun, he lifted his hands and said imploringly, “It’s ok. You can put the gun down.” 

Dani’s eyebrows furrowed and her gun lowered only a fraction, “His driver is outside across street.” 

Bright closed his eyes for a second. “That makes sense. It’s not like he’s the walking or taxi type.” A sharp chuckle left his mouth making Dani tense. A feeling of dread spread out in her chest.

“Bright… where is he?”

Bright closed his eyes again and took a deep breath. In for 4 counts; out for 8 – allowing Dani to see he was calming himself. Opening his eyes once again, Bright stared at Dani meeting her gaze steadily.  
“Dani, please put the gun away. You might scare Ainsley and that…that would be a bad idea right now. Endicott is not a threat. There are no guards. But,” he shifted, lips drawing into a flat line, eyes beseeching, “But something did happen, and I need your help to do this right.”

Dani lowered the gun. Hesitating a moment, she holstered it and he dropped his arms. Imprints of moments, sentences, stances flashed through her mind quickly, an ominous feeling overtaking her. “Bright, did Endicott do something to Ainsley?” She took a step towards his sister who was still largely hidden behind the combination of Bright’s body and the angle of the chair.

A small sound like a wounded animal escaped his mouth before he could stop it, bringing her up short. Dani took him in. Head cocked, his usually impeccable hair fell out of place and a deep frown marred his face. His eyes meanwhile looked… like they had when she had finally talked him down from the nightmare in the precinct. _Haunted, afraid, and ashamed._

She took a deep breath, mimicking his earlier. Letting him watch as she relaxed her stance. She raised her arms - again mimicking his own behavior. A trick to put people at ease that he had actually been the one to teach her. It worked. She watched as Bright’s muscles relaxed a bit.

“Bright, did Endicott hurt her?” 

“No. Yes,” He shifted closer to Dani, a small portion of Ainsley starting to show. “Endicott was here. He threatened us, actively discussed how he was going to destroy us. Our family. He threatened Ainsley. She was alone with him for a while. Dani,” Bright took a deep breath, “Ainsley had a psychotic break. She killed Endicott after he threatened her. She’s non-responsive.” 

Dani blinked, “Wait, what?” 

Bright shifted further so Ainsley came into view. Dani lurched back at the sight. Ainsley, still covered in blood, sat primly on the yellow Edwardian chair. Eyes unfocused, hands folded nicely, knees bent together. It looked like she could be at an interview. Except for the blood. Except for the look in her eyes. 

Dani’s eyes flew to Bright’s, “Are you ok?” 

Bright’s head cocked further, confused. She continued, “Endicott. Was there a fight? Are you ok? Where is the body? What do you mean she killed him?” The questions came rapid fire. Dani, taking the remaining six steps to stand next to Bright, grabbed his wrist. “You and Ainsley. Any injuries?” 

Bright shook his head no as Dani’s eyes were drawn to the floor on the other side of the room. A bed sheet had been placed over what was clearly a body. The sheet was deformed from looked like a prodigious amount of blood that had seeped into the weave. From the amount of spray patterns not able to be covered… quite a lot of blood… in quite a lot of areas.

Dani gulped and turned to face Ainsley. She knew she should arrest Ainsley immediately but hesitated. Something was very wrong. Bright quickly moved between them causing Dani’s mouth to harden.  
Reading the signs, he quickly put his hands up placatingly, “She’s in the middle of a psychotic break. If this isn’t handled carefully, the break could be permanent. I get you’re a cop. I know that, but I also need you to be your usual empathetic cop self. Please.” 

There was that word again. His eyes again reminiscent of the one time he woke up from a nightmare in her presence. _Fear. Shame. Haunted._

The dread turned into nausea. She knew the look in Bright’s eyes. Was intimately familiar with it. Had seen it in the mirror many times. Spine straightening, she watched as whatever Bright saw in her face caused him to lower his hands. “Bright. Here’s what we are going to do. I have to arrest her, but you tell me what she needs so we do it in a way that minimizes damage. Alright?”

Bright nodded, a wavering smile emerging, soft on his lips, “She needs to be in a hospital. This isn’t something a prison or something I could handle on my own. She’s…,” Bright hesitated, “lost. Finding her has be done carefully if she’s ever going to be… herself again.” His voice broke a little and he turned away from Dani, crouching carefully next to his sister’s knees.

Studiously avoiding looking at Dani, he added, “He was threatening her Dani. Threatening all of us. She, she broke. Someone broke her.”

Dani noted the word. _Someone. Not Endicott._ She crouched down next to and slightly behind Bright. She didn’t want to get to close to Ainsley and have her take her for a threat. Particularly if cuffs were going to be involved soon. _One bridge at a time._

“Bright, I know this is going to sound weird.” She hesitated, thinking over her words, “I need to see her break.”

Bright’s face quickly turned towards her in shock. Swallowing, she plowed on, “If there is a way for me to see so I can put it in my report. Um, testify, if need be. That I saw her break – even just a little. That would matter.” Dani nervously eyed the stained bed sheet, “Break just a little.” 

Bright’s eyes seemed to search hers, looking for god only knows what. She didn’t want to do this. “If I can’t see without causing more damage or making her violent…” Bright winced. “Then let’s not. It’s just…She’s acting odd but a prosecutor can get around what I’ve seen easily. You’re the only witness and currently a suspect in another murder.” 

Bright paused and considered, his eyes roaming over Ainsley’s face. “Ains,” he said gently, “Ains, look who’s here. My friend Dani.” Ainsley’s face and muscles held still. Gently, Malcolm started to rhythmically tap Ainsley’s knee, “Ainsley. I need to speak to Ainsley. Ainsley.” 

He repeated the sentence gently, quietly, all while tapping her knee. “Ainsley. I need to speak to Ainsley. Ainsley. Ainsley. I need to speak to Ainsley.” There was something calming, hypnotic but also firm. Like he was waking a child from the beginnings of a bad dream.

Bright kept going for another minute. Dani’s knees began to ache and she shifted to a more comfortable position. Abruptly, Ainsley’s eyes jerked left at the movement and honed in on Dani. A strange light, frightening in its intensity, leveled itself at Dani who felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Something instinctual told her not to move as Bright shifted in time with his sister’s gaze to place himself between them. 

A deeply calming voice emanated from Bright, at odds with the tension in his muscles, “Ainsley, you remember I mentioned my friend. She’s come to visit. Isn’t that nice?” He began re-tapping her knee.

Just as suddenly, Ainsley’s eyes softened and went out of focus. When she spoke, her voice had an odd quality, like she was younger and parroting manners her mother had insisted on, “It very nice to meet you Dani. Welcome to our home.” 

Dani opened her mouth, unsure what to say. She closed it as Ainsley went back to her earlier posture, staring blankly at the wall. Bright began again; his finger gently tapping against his sister’s knee. “Ainsley. I need to speak to Ainsley. Ainsley. Ainsley. I need to speak to Ainsley.”

Another minute passed. This time Ainsley focused in on Bright with the same contained manic gaze. Dani’s hand immediately landed on her holster but otherwise she held still. “Ainsley, you remember my friend Dani. She’s come to visit. Isn’t that nice?”

Dani’s eyes never left Ainsley’s face. She watched as Ainsley again melted into a haze. “It very nice to meet you Dani. Welcome to our home.” Ainsley resettled into a composed statue staring at nothingness. 

The nausea transitioned back to dread. 

She gently placed her hand on Bright’s arm, squeezing comfortingly and in warning. _Enough._

They stood in tandem and moved to the French doors giving them enough space that Dani felt she could whisper without Ainsley overhearing, if she was capable of hearing. Bright spoke before Dani could say a word, “Dani, you saw her. She’s not well. It’s a fugue state. I need to get her to the hospital but I also need to not be in jail tomorrow. Particularly if I’m going to help her.”

He shifted towards Dani, his hands starting to move as he got more excited, though his voice never rose. Dani listened carefully, this was her partner speaking, not a brother, not a victim of Endicott’s. “Endicott is a born sociopath with a god complex. He would want total control but would need an organization below him to do his bidding.”

“Like in organized crime. There are seconds.”

“Exactly. If we can find out who his trusted Lieutenants are, we can get evidence he was a criminal. Right now, the only witness to Gil’s stabbing is my mother. Given what Ainsley just did, the prosecutor probably won’t factor in her statements until Gil can corroborate. Since we don’t know when that will be, I’m back in jail during the meantime. If we have evidence Endicott was who we say he was, that should be enough for my lawyers to make it in the prosecutor’s best interest to not move ahead with charges.”

Dani shifted towards Bright, her head shaking a bit, “But don’t the two profiles contradict? How could he want total control but have lieutenants?”

“Sheer logistics. Its hard to run legitimate empires. Takes time and effort. Add in criminal activity and now you have even more of a logistics issue. He can’t be everywhere at once. There has to be people he had enough control over that he would give them some consistent responsibility. The girl in the box, Sophie, she’s an example. Dr. Whitly said she admitted to doing “horrible things” for Endicott. Remember?” Dani nodded as Bright continued, “They’re not the muscle. Not expendable at a moment’s notice. They’ll be more like Sophie. Normal every day looking professionals. Probably in the aspects of his business that require the most time and attention to detail yet would be where he’d need the most control over things.”

“His money!”

Bright started to shake his head but Dani kept on, her head slightly bowed as she focused on her thoughts, “Bright, trust me. Unless you have a specific other area to look, it’s his money. You may be rich, but I know money laundering.”

Something in her tone, about the way she said that single phrase caught his attention.

“Everything hits the legitimate economy at some point. You can make as much as you want on the underground economy but you still, at some point, have to interact with the legitimate economy. That’s one of the most dangerous and consistent risks these guys have to take. Money laundering – true, continuous need to launder money – in the amounts Endicott would be moving is a true art form. There are only a handful of people in the world that can craft that sort of program. Those experts are not your normal run-of-the-mill criminal facilitators. These experts operate like independent consultants, setting up strategies for an insane fee, and then its sustained by in-house employees.”

Bright’s blue eyes narrowed as he watched her get more caught up in the plan. “That sort of elite operation is incredibly difficult to identify, but because there are only a handful of people who could have set it up, you just have to…” She caught herself. Looking up at Bright and noticing his scrutiny, she offered a quick, “I find money laundering interesting. It was really helpful in narcotics and when I worked some white-collar cases.”

She was covering; her autonomic tells giving away her lie. But for the life of him, Bright couldn’t imagine why. His hand tremoring, Bright started touching his fingertips together rhythmically to calm his thoughts. _Not important. Stay out jail; help Ainsley._ He allowed the conversation to shift. 

“You’re right. That’s a solid idea but takes time. Time, I don’t have if I’m going to help set up a treatment approach for Ainsley and find out what happened.”

Again, Dani took note of his phrasing. _Find out what happened. He’s going to figure out whoever the someone is… One bridge at a time._

Bright launched a counter idea, “Another area he would want complete control over is his family and any very key players in his estate. His wife is dead; I don’t know if was suspicious. There has to be others…” A wave of helplessness overtook him and he looked at his little sister, “That also takes time, but perhaps we can get someone to turn once we show he’s dead. With the king gone, they’ll be the ones to have to pay the price for everything he made them do…Unless they plea.”

Dani took a deep breath, nervous energy causing her tug at her sleeves. Seemingly settling on a decision, Dani squared her shoulders and looked directly into Bright’s blue eyes. Taking his trembling hand, she offered, “Bright, I meant what I said. We’re going to get you out of this. There may be some more unique options, but - -” 

Like a shot gun blast, a screech tore out of Ainsley’s mouth echoing off the walls and taking their breath away. 

Without thinking, Bright yanked Dani behind him while she reached for her gun in a fluid motion. Correcting Bright’s instinctual action, Dani quickly moved so they stood shoulder to shoulder, gun up, steady, leveled at Ainsley.


	2. It's All Fun and Games

Both sets of eyes focused on the wailing woman in the chair – in horror and with the primal intensity of those who know a threat is imminent. 

Ainsley’s body contorted, then snapped straight like an arrow, going deathly silent. Within a breath’s time, Ainsley jerked again and launched herself from the chair running out of the living room. 

“NYPD! Stop!”

“Ainsley! No!” 

Bright and Dani took off after her. From the chaotic way Ainsley was running, Dani doubted she had any sort of plan but she also knew she couldn’t let Ainsley leave the house under any circumstance. Not after all the blood. Ainsley was the definition of a threat to others in this state. 

Bright outpaced Dani slightly - the benefit of knowing the layout and, given the direction Ainsley was headed, where she was likely going. He couldn’t believe she was running. A second ago, his sister couldn’t even focus her eyes. 

_Her bedroom. She’s going to where she feels safe._ He felt a sense of gratefulness hover for moment over the chaos inside. Enough of Ainsley was still there, still close enough to the surface, that she remembered home. 

Ainsley took the stairs haphazardly, her shoes coming off as she stumbled along. Breathless, Bright and Dani stood at the bottom and stared. Dani lifted her gun again, “NYPD! Ainsley, you need to stop.” 

“Yeah, that’s not going to work.” 

“Well, yeah, I figured but I mean...What the hell Bright!” Making a decision she pulled out her cuffs instead and started up, “Bright, we need to cuff her. She can’t get access to anything that could be used as a weapon.” 

Bright launched himself up the stairs alongside Dani not disagreeing. _Damn it! This is not how this was supposed to go._

Reaching the top, they stopped short. Ainsley was standing in the threshold of her bedroom door, just staring into the darkened room. The light in the hallway made her hair glisten, all the more jarring against the curdled blood interwoven in clumps. 

“Is she back in that fugue state?”

Bright shook his head, “I don’t know. Ainsley?” He turned his body so he was halfway facing forward and half to the side facing Dani. He put both hands up again in a beseeching motion, one arm facing his sister and the other his partner. 

“Dani, give me a second to talk to her.”

“Only if you stay back.” Bright stopped his advancement and glanced back. Dani cocked her head quickly and narrowed her eyes. Non-negotiable. Dani pulled out her gun, and repeated the same look. 

Bright nodded resignedly. “Ainsley,” the calm voice was back, “I need to speak to Ainsley. Ainsley.” 

A wail pierced the air like a banshee cry. Ainsley flew through her bedroom into the small side room comprising her closet. Bright and Dani followed close behind.

Framed in doorway of Ainsley’s dressing area, they watched side-by-side, dumbfounded, as Ainsley pummeled the wall with her vanity chair. 

Drywall broke off in chunks as Ainsley continued her wail. Her body shaking with the effort, face contorted in rage, the wall collapsed under her assault. 

Suddenly, the fight left her; the fractured chair dropping from lifeless fingers. Folding over, Ainsley fell to her hands and knees, face down, chest heaving. Again, her eyes lost all focus as she stared at the carpet. 

Bright grabbed Dani’s hand. His eyes never leaving the wall. In tandem, they moved forward. Towards Ainsley. Towards the hole. 

There was a space behind the wall. Almost like the room had a small inlet at one time. It was filled with shelves.

Rows and rows of little angel statues and tea cups. 

\-----------------------

When JT finally saw Bright, he was practically on top of him. Hidden in a darkened corner of Gil’s private hospital room, Bright opted for the floor rather than the chair. JT took a minute to assess his teammate, who still seemed utterly unaware of him. Head bowed, knees drawn up, both of Bright’s hands shook as he clasped his shins. Falling hair acted as a curtain, keeping JT from seeing the profiler’s face. 

Tally said people sometimes left behind an imprint of their energy. She called it energy fingerprints. JT had never really believed her but seeing Bright…sucked dry in a way he had never witnessed before… now he could believe. JT averted his eyes. Seeing Bright like this felt too intimate.

Instead, he stared at the man in the bed. Mrs. Whitly had gotten Gil a private room; some wing rich people used. It was a nice gesture, but JT hoped Gil was out before he could really appreciate it. Suddenly, Bright’s voice drifted up to his ears, “Hey.” 

JT’s eyebrows lifted and his mouth widened into a small ‘O’, “Hey?” 

“Yep, it’s all I got. Hey.” 

JT shifted. Okay, he could work with that, “Hey. Gil awake or still in and out?” 

“In and out.”

JT nodded, “Okay.” He stared fixedly on the man in the bed. “Well, we have a lot to brief him on once he decides to rejoin us.”

“You could say that,” Bright huffed. Drawing his knees tighter towards his chest, Bright finally looked up. “Dani?”

JT shifted nervously, “Still doing the paperwork on Ainsley.” 

Bright nodded. Dani had called a friend in Brooklyn who was a walking sage when it came to police regulations. They found a little used reg that allowed Dani to put Ainsley in a longer protective hold than normal without a full court order. It would only buy them a small window of time – hours more at most - but Bright couldn’t quite find the words for how grateful he’d been. Once Ainsley was sedated and in the care of a hospital psychiatrist he felt comfortable with, he’d gone to tell his mother. 

His bones just felt so heavy. He’d known tiredness most his life, but this… this was new. 

Bright looked towards the bed, “Gil was awake enough for a small conversation. I didn’t say anything about Ainsley. The medicine is making him drift in and out but his mind was all there.” 

“Seriously kid,” Both men jerked as Bright scrambled up to his feet, “I’m not that old,” Gil murmured – quiet but solid. He was awake. 

The men hurried over, as JT replied, “We missed you boss. Had paperwork to fill out and everything, and you just lazing about in bed.” 

Gil’s soft laugh quickly contorted into a sustained wince. Bright grabbed Gil’s arm, “JT--” 

“Yep,” JT pushed the button for the doctor. 

Gil tried to relax his muscles as the pain transitioned to a deep throb, “No more drugs that knock you out. Endicott?”

JT pursed his lips, raised his eyebrows, and rocked a bit on his heels. This one’s all you.

Bright’s blue eyes dimmed, he clenched both hands as they shook. God, I hope both of them shaking isn’t permanent, Bright thought as he mustered enough courage. “A lot happened after you were stabbed. Do you know how you got here?” 

“Jessica,” Gil’s eyes took on a light that shined around the pain, “She saved me.” 

Bright smiled, pride pushing down the pain a bit. “Yes, she did. After, Endicott came to Mother’s house. She’s fine,” Bright hurried to add when Gil’s heart monitor started to rise. “However, Endicott was alone with Ainsley for a time. I’m unsure what happened; enough for her to be in distress - cry. When I arrived, he was threatening my family.” He paused, “Not shocking I know…” Bright hesitated, listening to the sound of Gil’s heart rate start to increase, “Ainsley went in to a fugue state and killed him.” 

Bright winced deeply at the beeps from the machines, slightly panicked, he rushed to try and calm him, “Gil, it’s going to be ok. Mother, Ainsley, and I are safe. Endicott is gone. You shouldn’t put your body through more stress. Breathing exercises.” 

Gil’s eyebrows rose to his hairline and he lifted his head cocking it forward, “Breathing exercises? Where is she and Jessica?” 

“Dani has Ainsley in protective custody; she’s sedated until I can find a better option for her here in the hospital. Mother is… resting. She is fine but had a panic attack. When I left her, she was sleeping in a private room.” Gil’s heart rate jumped again, and Bright hurried on, “Not admitted. The Whitly’s donated quite a bit of money to the hospital over the years, as did the Miltons. The Chief of Staff provided us a private room, near here actually. She took some meds and is just sleeping. I…I can have another bed brought in here for when she wakes.” 

Gil sighed, the sound wavering, “Ok. Ok.” He took a minute to collect himself, hating the lingering effects of the pain medicine on his mind. His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the nurse and the resulting negotiations over further pain relief. He needed his wits about him. 

As the nurse left, Gil barked, “Get Dani down here.” 

“Already here,” Dani called as she walked into the room. Bright took her in. Dani’s hands were buried in the pockets of her jacket; her shoulders bunched at her ears. She looked folded in on herself a bit, but lifted her lips at the corners as she approached the bed, “It’s good to see you awake.” 

Gil smiled slightly in greeting, “How’s Ainsley?” 

Dani’s eyes flew to Bright and JT’s, “You all told him?” She gestured towards Gil, “Just out of surgery and confined to a hospital bed and that was the appropriate topic for discussion?” 

Gil jumped in, saving a sputtering JT and Bright, “I’m glad they did. We need to figure out next steps.” 

Dani pursed her lips at her two partners, but let it drop, “Bright had a good idea.” Bright began filling Gil and JT in on what they had discussed at the mansion. 

Dani jumped back in, “Edrisa is processing the scenes.” Bright winced slightly. Unsure if it was the mention of his childhood home as a crime scene again or the fact there was multiple scenes involved, she continued, “Ainsley is in a protective hold. I still need to talk with the prosecutor about next steps.”

She glanced at Bright sympathetically, “Is there a good hospital associated with the prison system I could suggest?” She hesitated, “Maybe other than Claremont?” 

Bright nodded, swallowing hard, “Yes, I can send you them.” 

Dani nodded softly as JT’s phone began ringing. Pulling it out, he startled as he read the number, “Excuse me.”

Dani took a step closer to the bed as JT left the room, “Has the doctor been by?” Bright shook his head as Gil softly reassured Dani. 

Suddenly, JT strode into the room, eating floor with every step, excitement painted all over his face. “You’re never going to believe this bro, but the FBI just saved your ass.”   
Bright’s head jerked up, “FBI?” 

JT nodded excitedly, looking around, “From what I can tell, Endicott was on the radar of a small task force within the FBI. Spook stuff. They were watching him. When your mom went all Wonder Woman on his ass, they rushed in knowing something going down. Arrested all senior level members of his businesses, all the staff at his house, and seized all his assets.” 

Bright felt hope starting to rise in his chest as turned to look at Dani and Gil in excitement, “They may have leads about the DNA. If nothing else, we can use this to get the prosecutor off my back.” His lips parted in his first true smile since Eve’s death. Then the smile froze. He watched as Gil’s face lit up in true happiness but the heart and blood monitors fluctuated. Gil looked… relieved, happy, but also… disconcerted. He glanced at Dani. Her face radiated joy, relief…pride? 

Bright cocked his head a bit. Gil’s voice jumped in, preventing Bright from inquiring, “That’s huge. We need to meet up with the FBI task force and set up a rhythm to coordinate. JT, that’s you.” Bright noticed Dani tense from the corner of his eyes.

Gil turned to them, “Dani, help Bright settle in Ainsley and get the scene processed. Coordinate the, I don’t know, three outstanding issues we have with the prosecutor’s office.” Gil’s face wavered a bit as the drugs began to take effect in earnest, “Bright, have them bring a bed in here for your mom. Work with Dani.” He looked at all three of his team members as they stood there staring. With a shoeing motion, he exclaimed, “Go!” 

The three turned and started heading for the door when he called out, “Dani. A moment.” 

Bright hesitated for a second, mid-step before walking out with JT as Dani headed back to the bed. Bright waited until JT turned the hallway corner and double backed. To much was at stake right now to be caught off guard. There was a second door to Gil’s room, hidden by the curtains around the bed. He’d be out of sight.

He tested the door, quietly praying it wouldn’t squeak. It glided open soundlessly and he slowly inched his way in, coming to a stop halfway between the second door and the bed, still thoroughly hidden by the curtain. 

He couldn’t hear anything. Just as he was debating inching closer to the end of the curtain, Gil’s voice, soft and concerned, reached his ears.

“I thought I told you, when Bright’s DNA came back, you were to go no where near him.” Dani opened her mouth to retort but Gil continued on, raising a single finger to silence her, “I told you to do everything – everything - by the book. 100%.”

Dani fidgeted with her rings, “I did.” Gil’s eyebrows rose. “I did,” she insisted, “I just also may have called a friend.”

“Dani,” Gil’s voice was a soft warning. 

She nodded in response, looking down, trying to not scuff her feet like a child. “I know Gil. I just…couldn’t stand by. Not completely. I kept an open mind. I looked at the evidence, the inconsistency in his behavior, the profile. I…arrested him. Could have ended our friendship if he hadn’t been so Bright about it. I did it all by the book. I just…also made a call.” She straightened her shoulders, “We aren’t used to dealing with someone like Endicott. Bright may be used to dealing with the type but not the organization. He is.” 

Gil’s sigh reverberated around the room. He closed his eyes and nodded, “I know. Were you careful?”

“Yes. I went through multiple channels and used Peter as the formal receiver. Peter called the prosecutor’s office to bypass us completely.”

Gil nodded again, “JT does all work with the task force. You don’t go near them with a 1000-foot poll.” Dani nodded vigorously. He continued on, “And don’t try and tell me that information wouldn’t have leaked to a defense attorney if Bright had done it.” His eyes wrinkled at the corners, “You’re not so by-the-book innocent you didn’t have a plan.” 

Dani smiled slightly, still uncomfortable at being called out, “Defense attorney’s get any information turned over to the prosecutor. Even if Bright had, it would have helped contextualize it. May have impacted sentencing.” 

“You disobeyed a direct order,” He lifted his eyebrows again as she sputtered, “You disobeyed the intent if not the letter, and you know it.” Dani’s shoulders drooped. Kindly, Gil added, “Make it up to me. Call your sponsor.”

Dani felt the darkness she’d been trying to keep at bay creep to the edges of her mind, making its presence known. _He can always tell._

Gil continued, “It’s been a hell of ride. Hard on everyone, but I hadn’t known you dug up that old monster.” He leaned forward a bit, waiting until he caught her eye, “By the end of the day today. Not when its convenient. Tonight.” 

Dani felt tears well up and she hated herself for them. Taking a deep breath, she nodded. 

“You know, you could always tell them,” Gil said softly.

Dani let out a startled laugh, “Now I know your high.” 

“I mean it. They care about you; they’d understand.”

Dani waved her hand in a cutting motion, “JT has a baby on the way. Bright has his family issues. No one needs someone like me adding to their load. I’m fine. I can handle it. I always have.” 

Gil considered her, both proud and saddened, “Yeah, you always have. Call your sponsor.”

Dani nodded, placated now that Gil was letting it go, “I will; I promise.” 

Gil closed his eyes, exhausted. Taking the cue, Dani turned and left. 

Bright closed his eyes and swayed. It was too much. Eve. His arrest. Gil. Endicott. Ainsley. His Mother. Now some mysterious Dani issue. He felt the oncoming signs of a panic attack and started breathing deeply to offset it. Vaguely, he wondered what the time was. He was probably due for his medications soon. Knowing he needed to leave, he backed towards the door. 

“Just a second.”

Bright froze. 

“Did you really think I didn’t know you’d see my reactions on the monitors and be curious?”

Bright stepped forward, feeling all the world like a five-year-old. 

“You shouldn’t have listened in.”

“You shouldn’t have told Dani not to talk to me.” 

Gil’s eyebrows rose at the hostility under the surface within that statement, “Do you want her fired?” 

Bright startled, “Of course not.”

“Then trust I did the right thing.” 

Bright paused, weighing his words, “Dr. Whitly plays games. My mother can play games. I can play games. Not you. Not with her. Not with Dani.” 

Gil nodded settling into the bed, tired of fighting off the effects of the pain medicine, “That’s fair. It’s not a game as much as risk mitigation.” Gil closed his eyes trying to end the conversation.

“Is she in danger?” Bright’s eyes honed in with laser like focus on Gil’s heart and blood monitors. 

They remained steady. “Not currently,” he hedged. “Bright, you remember all those people who took an interest in you but really just wanted all the gory details?” 

_Did I?_ Bright scoffed as a kaleidoscope of painful memories flew before his eyes, “Of course.” 

Gil kept his eyes closed and simply pointed at the door, “Word of advice? Remember Dani isn’t a case. Isn’t a puzzle. She’s a human; your friend.” Gil opened his eyes, slightly unfocused but still deadly serious, “Act. Like. It.”


	3. With a Bang

**2 Months Later**

Bright had a case. He felt the familiar thrill of the chase, a puzzle on the horizon just waiting to be solved. And Gil was back in the field, finally. Bright smiled; he needed this. He needed the normalcy; he needed his team.

With the findings of the task force, and the fact that the District Attorney and many others within New York City had taken campaign contributions from Endicott, his family lawyers had been able to negotiate getting Ainsley confined to a medium-security psychiatric hospital. They used Endicott’s large, international criminal contacts as leverage to have her named changed on the hospital registry, citing safety concerns. Charges against him were dropped; they would never have been able to prove beyond reasonable doubt as the evidence mounted against Endicott. 

No one wanted a scandal, whether due to the upcoming election cycle or for Ainsley’s protection, and Jessica’s adept hand at politics had kept the news hushed. She submitted a letter of resignation in Ainsley’s name to the news channel, stating that she was chasing down some independent story she couldn’t tell anyone about. Ambitious and mysterious, it looked like most of her colleagues and friends had accepted the explanation. Now that the immediate chaos was over, it was time to figure out what had happened. Bright sighed; he needed this.

JT joined him, matching his stride as they approached an old warehouse. Ducking under the police tape and dodging forensics and uniformed officers, Bright greeted him, “JT.” 

JT nodded back, “Dani picked up Gil and is on her way.” JT pursed his lips for a second, “Just a heads-up bro. The prosecutor is making our request for you to speak to the Junk Yard Killer difficult. Even after we explained the angel statues.” 

Bright didn’t let that dampen his enthusiasm, “I expected that. I’m a witness in the John Watkin case. I just needed the formal response. Now I can negotiate.”

JT’s voice filled with a combination of dread and amusement, “Negotiate?” 

Bright’s eyes shone with mischief, “Oh yes. Negotiate. He needs me to be very good witness, and you know how unstable I can be.”

Bemused and resigned, JT shook his head, reaching a hand out to open the warehouse door, “Don’t say another word. I don’t want to know.” 

Edrisa bounced towards them, over the moon at the team being back together and the weirdness of the new case. Her eyes squinted and her smile grew, “Bright! Oh my god, this is one for the books!” 

“Great,” JT muttered. 

Bright threw him an amused look, his eyes alight, he asked, “What do we have Edrisa?” 

She ushered them towards the scene. About midway in the warehouse was a large dip in the floor, square, about 4 to 5 feet deep. It probably held an industrial machine at some point. Laying in the middle of the cavity was the prone body of a black, middle aged male, hands crossed over his chest like in a casket. He lay atop a small table - lovely really, white and chic. Deep reddish-brown blood encircled the table in an oval shape, ringing the body but not touching the table. White roses lay at the man’s feet. It could have been a funeral… except for the blood and lack of casket. 

Bright lowered himself into the dip, navigating over some glass shards and carefully examining the scene, while JT went to speak with the officer who called it in. 

Bright cocked he head, staring, “Is that?” 

Edrisa nodded vigorously, “Yep, a fake body.” 

“Huh.” 

“Wait, it’s fake?” JT called out, “Why are we here?” He walked back towards Bright and Edrisa. 

“Oh, but that’s the weird part. I mean, the scene is super weird, but we ran a field test on the blood. A lot more tests need to be done, but,” She paused for dramatic effect, “the blood is human. If it’s from the same human, then it would be enough that they were fully exsanguinated.” 

Bright nodded his head, taking it in, “It’s ritualistic. Almost respectful. I don’t think the killer hated whoever the body is a mock-up for.” He glanced up at JT, “Is Dani and Gil almost here?” 

JT quickly shot off a text. Getting a reply almost immediately, he announced, “Yep, they just parked.” 

All three turned to greet Gil. They could see him as he walked in, slow but moving well, coffee in hand. Gil’s mouth widened into a smile as he began heading towards the scene, picking up the pace. Dani chuckled softly in amusement behind him, holding her own coffee. 

Abruptly, Gil’s face rippled in horror as recognition widened his eyes. Dropping his coffee, he turned, grabbing Dani by the arms, “Dani!”

Dani’s hand went limp, her coffee dropping. Her mouth widened in a silent scream as Gil twisted her away from the scene. Her body started shaking violently; her mouth snapping shut, she started to sway. 

Gil scanned the warehouse quickly. Seeing a small office in the corner, Gil abruptly dragged Dani off, not saying another word, away from the startled and horrified eyes of her teammates. 

Bright felt the blood drain from his face as he scrambled up the side of the indent. 

“What the fuck?” JT turned to look at Bright and Edrisa, but Bright was already running past him. Opening the door to the office, Bright slipped in after Dani and Gil, firmly shutting the door behind him. “What the fuck?” 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Dani was vaguely aware of Gil in front of her. White noise echoed in her head drowning out words; the world swam. Distantly, she recognized she was starting to see double. Her chest stuttering, she kept trying to take air in but it never seemed enough. Trembling, heat and cold fought for her body. _Why can’t I breathe?_

Pressure on her arms… _Gil,_ she thought nebulously as his face swam in and out of focus. _Drowning; I’m drowning._

Another gentle pressure joined in on her shoulders, turning her slightly away from Gil. Crystal eyes, filled with deep compassion swam into focus. Still, it took her a second to realize… _Bright._

“Hi Dani,” his voice sang, softly like a lullaby. “I know you feel like you can’t breathe, but you are. You are having a panic attack,” he smiled softly, “I have them all the time, and I’m still here.” 

He kept is sentences clipped, directive, yet quiet and kind, “I’m putting your hand on my chest. I want you to focus on its movement. Just focus on it. You don’t have to match it. It’s ok. Focus on the movement of my chest.”

Slowly, her vision came into focus a bit more. Bright continued, “Great. I’m really proud of you. I’m going to point to five things. All you need to do is look.” Dani suddenly gagged, feeling like she was choking; Bright moved to stay in her line of sight, hands still gently resting on her shoulders, “You’re ok. I promise. I am going to point to 5 things. Simply look and keep your hand on my chest. Ok?” 

Dani managed a halting nod. 

Bright smiled, seemingly unconcerned, “Wonderful. That’s a good job.” He slowly pointed to a series of objects around the abandoned office. Dani managed to follow. The white noise receded slightly. 

“Seriously Dani, you’re doing great. Now, I want you to try and breathe in for four counts, hold it for seven, then release it for eight. I’ll show you.” He went through the exercise. “It’s ok if it takes a couple tries. It’s ok if you don’t get the numbers perfect. I’ll do it with you.” 

Stuttering through, Dani slowly began to match him. She wasn’t drowning anymore. Exhaustion moved in where the panic receded. A bang echoed and she lurched towards Bright, grabbing the arms still holding her. She ducked her head into the space between them. Bright jerked faintly, quickly moving his arms into a lose hug, letting her know he was there, but she could pull away if needed. “It’s ok; its just JT and Edrisa. They were worried.” Bright’s voice turned softer, “Just focus on me. Let’s breathe together.” She continued matching his breathes, feeling the panic lessen in her chest. 

“Edrisa, JT, I need you to stand at a distance please,” Bright warned gently when the two teammates started moving towards them, “And please wait to speak.” 

JT looked murderous next to a flabbergasted Edrisa, but they quickly complied. “Dani, you’re doing amazing. Can you tell me if there is anything you need?”

Humiliation joined the exhaustion and Dani shook her head slightly no. Bright leaned in towards her ear and whispered, “None of that now. You know how many of these things I’ve had?” Dani tilted her head up a bit so she could see his eyes. The gaze chased away the remaining panic. She shifted closer to Bright, resting her forehead on his shoulder, as he moved his arms into a true, though still loose hug, “Just keep breathing.” 

“Dani are you…” JT couldn’t hold it in anymore, adrenaline coursing through his body, “Gil, what’s out there?” 

Gil shifted and stood, his gaze lifting from his exhausted detective to scan the room. JT was staring hard, jaw clenched, furious at whatever unknown threat had caused this. Edrisa’s eyes shifted back and forth between Gil and where Bright held Dani, her face a strange mixture of emotions. Slowly, Bright lifted his head as well, one hand beginning to stroke Dani’s hair.

Gil’s eyes narrowed, fury starting to rise, “The body out there is Dani’s dad.”


	4. When Sleeping Dogs Refuse to Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over the rest of the story, Dani’s childhood gets revealed more in depth. This is where the warnings about child abuse begin to occur. Please be careful if that is triggering.

Bright’s hand paused for a second on Dani’s hair and then resumed stroking the soft curls. He fought to keep his muscles relaxed, knowing Dani could feel them. Mind whirling, his eyes turned calculating as he systematically sorted through the implications. 

“How is that even possible?” Gil’s voice shook with anger and Bright saw Dani’s back begin to tighten further. 

Bright cut in; his voice even, “There’s a lot to discuss, but right now, I need the energy in this room to come down. Now.” 

Everyone but Dani turned to look incredulously at him. He stared back at Gil evenly. _You’ve been through enough of these with me, Gil._

Gil nodded at the silent message. Holding up his hands, he began to usher the others out; however, Edrisa’s voice flittered around the room nervously as she brought Gil up to date, “It’s a fake body. A special kind of wax, I think… I’ll cover the hole with a sheet for when you’re leaving, Dani. We just need to be careful about the glass.”

“Glass?” Dani asked weakly, honing in on the only sentence she could logically follow. She kept her head on Bright’s shoulder as his arms tightened at the sound. 

Edrisa hesitated, not able to look away from Bright and Dani, “Yes, there’s glass from a black light intermixed with the white roses and rimming the indent.” 

Dani took a deep breath, Bright’s cologne offering her comfort, “White Roses?”

“Dani,” Bright cut her off, “It’s ok. Let Edrisa process the scene. You and I can head back to your place, and then back to the precinct if you want. We can talk there.” 

“My place?” She wished she could form better sentences but her brain wouldn’t cooperate. 

“In case you want to take a shower, change, just collect yourself.” Bright shrugged, “I always like to.”

A thought, slightly hysterical under the circumstance, came out of her mouth before she could stop it, “Am I stinky?” She could feel her clothes sticking to her.

Bright huffed, still stroking her hair, “Not what I meant.” She lifted her head an inch from his shoulder, looking at him with narrowed eyes. His own started to twinkle in response, “I promise; you’re not stinky.” 

Dani suddenly shifted back onto her knees facing him, “The roses. We had white roses at my dad’s funeral.” Bright moved to speak but Dani cut him off, her eyes not leaving his, “Bright, my friends they… some of my friends couldn’t attend the funeral so they sent me messages on what looked like blank pieces of paper. Except I could read the message if I looked at them under a black light.” 

Bright’s eyes widened at the revelation, excitement starting to pulse through his body despite the circumstances, “Edrisa, find some black lights and start scanning the warehouse for a message.” 

The medical examiner scuttled out of the office quickly, while JT moved closer to where Dani was sitting. Dani began scrambling to stand up; all three men reaching out quickly to steady and stop her.

“Bright take Dani home.”

“Gil!” Dani objected. She swayed; the men’s hands tightening where they held her. _Ok, he may have a point._

“Come - -” Bright’s sentence was cut off by an exclamation from the main room.

Edrisa’s voice rang out, “We found something! Give me a second to cover the hole!” They waited a beat. “Ok!”

No one moved. The distance between herself and the door seemed to stretch, immeasurable, unattainable. She could feel the weight of their stares on her body. 

“Dani,” Bright let out in a soft warning. 

A shudder ran down her spine and she took a deep breath, meeting his concerned gaze, “If it were you, wouldn’t you want to see for yourself?” 

He nodded in resignation as she leveled her gaze at each man in turn. They all nodded. Bracing themselves, they moved as a unit back to the main floor. 

Edrisa faced a wall spanning the entire height of the old warehouse. Three forensic team members stood near her, each with a black light in their gloved hands. 

Bright’s shoulder grazed Dani’s as they walked. His eyes narrowed as they approached and his jaw clenched. The carefully controlled fury he’d been suppressing beginning to rise up. 

Seeing Gil’s nod, Edrisa gave the signal. A message ghosted across the wall as the black lights moved.

A rudimentary white rabbit stood on its haunches, as though sniffing the air next to simple phrase, “Miss Me?” 

Dani went rigid beside him. Taking her in, his eyes scanned for autonomic tells. _Recognition. Terror. Anger._

Without saying a word, Dani pulled out her phone, eyes never leaving wall. Dialing a number, she spoke clipped and hurried, “Chasen is back. Tell the others. Go to ground.” She simply hung up. 

“Chasen? Chasen Keller?” A roar sounded from Gil’s chest, taking Bright’s breath away and causing JT’s hand to fly to his gun. 

Dani turned to Bright. Her brown eyes filled with a terror she was desperately trying to choke back. “Well,” She gulped, “The good news is, I know who did it.” 

Robotically, Bright nodded. She continued, “I even know what he wants.”

He couldn’t make himself ask. Deep in the recesses of his heart he knew. JT asked for him, “What?” 

“Me.”  
\----------------------------------  
Bright felt the manic energy edging at his fingertips wanting to take over. On the way back to the precinct, Dani had been quiet while Gil made phone calls to persons yet unknown. The tone in Gil’s voice had pulled at memories best forgotten. Flashes of Gil, in between blinding pain, standing over his hospital bed, demanding details from Jessica so he could hunt down his classmates who’d put him there.

Combined with the events at the warehouse, it was too much. But, like always, there was too much to do in the moment to succumb. Now, back at the precinct, sitting in Gil’s office, he simply stared at Dani through the office window. _She’s beginning to move a bit more naturally. Muscles starting to relax._ Bright scanned her face. _Exhausted. Likely low blood sugar at this point._

She was talking to an older gentleman; FBI by the looks of him. She had welcomed him with a hug, telling Bright it was unlikely that this was an official visit. Nevertheless, he began wargaming methods to stay involved should the FBI try and remove him from the case. Sitting at the table in the conference room, Dani was bringing the agent up to speed. The man’s face moved in a cacophony of reactions. Bright catalogued each for future analysis should it be warranted, humming when he watched the man pull Dani in for a second hug. 

JT stood, back to the wall, watching as well. Gil had ushered them into the office as soon as they arrived, giving Dani some privacy with their guest. Finally, after a time simply watching Dani get settled, Gil broke the silence. 

“That’s Peter Johnson,” Bright’s head snapped to Gil’s face at the mention of the name Peter. “He was Charles Powell’s old partner on the force.” 

_Ah, that explains the closeness._

Gil continued, “Peter is at the FBI now; he will be liaising on the case.” He nodded at Bright, “This is still NYPD’s jurisdiction and will remain so.” The tension in Bright’s shoulders released. 

Gil hesitated a moment, “Peter has a mixed reputation from his time here. But I will say, he’s always done right by Dani…ultimately at least.” 

Gil shifted in his seat slightly, the ends of lips downturned, “JT, I want you to be Peter’s shadow.”

“Do you think he had something to do with the warehouse?” JT asked.

Immediately, Gil shook his head in the negative, “No, Peter would never do that to Dani.” Gil hesitated, a deep sigh releasing from his chest. “Look,” he glanced meaningfully at both Bright and JT in turn, “Dani had a hard childhood. Different from yours,” He nodded towards Bright, “but hard. Peter has shown a willingness in the past to,” Gil struggled to find the words, “use that.” He waved his hand, palm up in front of him, “Just partner with Peter on this one JT. Have him help so you can keep a pulse check on him. He’s close to Dani so don’t make it obvious.” 

JT nodded sharply and left the office for the conference room, determined to interject himself. 

Gil leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, while Bright turned to watch Dani, Peter, and now JT through the window again. Silence reigned heavy for several minutes.

Ready, Gil leaned forward drawing Bright’s eyes. “Kid, Dani…” He stopped himself and reassessed his words. Bright waited, patient like a stalking cat. “There is a reason Dani took your past in stride. A reason she’s learned to see people. Not just judge or analyze… but see.” He looked knowingly at Bright, “You know what I mean.” 

The manic energy moved from his fingertips to his arms; Bright started stimming his hands wishing for a stress ball or pen to fidget with. 

“She doesn’t talk about it. There are good reasons for her to keep silent. But she’s not used to asking for help or sharing that part of herself. Now, we’re about to rip it open all at once.”

_Call your sponsor… they don’t need someone like me…_ The conversation from the hospital replayed in his mind; he could feel the manic energy moving to his chest and legs. The need to walk, to pace, began niggling in his brain like a mosquito bite. 

Gil caught his eye, honing in, “Keller is his own nightmare added to an already hard story. I’m limited in what field work I can do.” Gil gestured to himself, then stroked his beard, “I need you to take care of our girl.” 

The absurdity of the alternative made Bright scoff gently, “Of course.” He stood, buttoning his suit jacket, and moved fluidly towards the office door, “Just keep the FBI out of my way.” Gil nodded, smiling slightly. Gathering some files, he closed his eyes and took a moment. This was going to be a hard one.  
\-------------------------------

After a round of introductions, an uncomfortable silence settled. Dani subtly shifted in her seat between Bright and Peter. She glanced at Gil, then Bright, almost looking for reassurance. Peter cocked an eyebrow and settled back in his chair; arms crossed. 

Eyeing Bright’s soft smile, Dani played with her rings, “I’m going to tell you one of my darkest secrets; I was born in Chicago.” 

JT gasped dramatically, “I want a new partner.” 

She threw him a fond look, paused a bit after her weak attempt at humor, and collected her thoughts, “My dad was Chicago PD. My mom was,” Dani hesitated, “…unwell. When they got divorced, my dad won full custody. But my mom took off with my brothers and me just a couple days later. We were all really young – babies and toddlers basically.”

Dani’s brown eyes shifted into a contemplative gaze and she rested her arms on the table, leaning forward slightly. She opened her mouth to continue when Peter cut in, “Arrest warrant for kidnapping is still out for the bitch.”

All three men tensed. Never looking up from her rings, Dani seemed to come to a decision. Her mouth hardened into a straight line. She sat back; her spine straightening. 

Bright watched as Dani eyes seemed to shutter into cooler gaze. He felt his heart sink; she was fully encased in armor now. A rush of anger towards Peter came next, flushing his neck slightly. Face impassive, Bright scanned Gil and JT; he wasn’t alone.

Gently, Gil encouraged Dani to continue.

“My mom was… flighty,” She said the word like a question, glancing at Bright. Her mouth opened like she was going to ask something, her head cocking slightly. Instead, she bit her lip and moved on, “But she was a really good grifter – a conman.” Dani laughed, a sardonic smile flashing across her face, “She’d forget to buy food for week, but she could’ve conned your mom out of her jewelry without breaking a sweat…when she was well at least.” 

Dani looked at Bright, “I don’t know how she’d do it. Everyone would agree that the sky was blue. She’d be the only one saying green - even the mark would say it was blue. Then, suddenly,” Dani shrugged a bit helplessly, “magically, everyone would be saying it was green. It was kind of amazing.” 

Bright nodded, his blue eyes like a calm pool of water, “How did you get to New York?” 

“When mama grabbed us, she disappeared. I’m not sure how long it took us to get here. The Bronx is all I remember. Eventually,” Dani sighed tiredly, “my dad received an anonymous tip that we were in New York City, specifically calling out the Bronx. It included pictures of our faces – enough for facial recognition and age progression to give about a 70% chance of it being us – but no identifying landmarks.” 

A single eyebrow rose over clear blue eyes. _That’s incredibly specific._

Dani continued, “Even more evidence started playing out that it was the real deal. My dad transferred to the NYPD, moved with my grandma out here, and they looked for us themselves.” She paused, her brown eyes softening, “They found us about 6 months later when I was 9, almost 10. Mama skipped town, and we went to live with them.” 

Bright stood quietly and leaned against the wall where he could take Dani fully in. He quietly prompted her again, “When did you meet Keller?” 

“He lived in our building. Uh, the one we lived in with my mom,” Dani clarified. She pursed her lips, “There was a group of us whose parents were all kinds of crazy. We were largely unsupervised,” Dani ignored Peter’s snort, “It’s not like we could be enrolled in public school. Our names would have flagged. Mama knew forgers but never bothered getting us new names or papers. We just went by a different last name, and she got herself a fake drivers license. Us kids were always home by ourselves so we stuck together.” 

Peter leaned back, putting his arm around Dani’s chair, “Don’t let her fool you. They were their own little criminal syndicate.” Dani winced slightly at the corners of her eyes but otherwise remained impassive. 

Peter continued, “Their parents were all lowlifes. Street thugs, junkies, you know the type.” He waved his hand dismissively, “It was a rough neighborhood. Kids left alone needed to have a rep to keep being left alone, if you get my meaning.” 

“We do,” JT interjected, eyeing Peter. 

“Dani,” Peter’s mouth widened to a full, toothy smile, “was the ringleader. Well, her and her older brother. Dani had a fairly sophisticated pick pocketing side hustle when most kids were in Brownies.”  
Quickly, Dani brought the discussion more on point, “Chasen’s dad was an alcoholic. Mean one. His mom worked three jobs. It was a rough house. He was part of our…” Dani couldn’t quite bring herself to say gang, as there were so many distinctions she wanted to point out, and had, to Peter, repeatedly. “Group of friends,” she finished halfheartedly. 

“That who you called after you saw the message?” JT asked.

Dani nodded, “Yeah, I kept in touch with them in various ways after moving in with my dad. We were still in the Bronx just different neighborhoods. They needed to know to watch themselves.”

Bright leaned forward from where he’d been reclining on the wall, “Can you explain why?” 

Dani licked her lips, “You have to understand; for a really long time, we were all we had. Literally. One of us would have food when the others hadn’t eaten; we’d hide each other when someone’s parents went on a bender; we’d make sure the perv that lived in the burned out building a couple blocks away didn’t get one of us when we walked past.” Dani circled her hand in front her in a ‘it goes on and on’ motion. She continued, earnestness creeping into her voice, “He was part of that.” 

“Something changed,” Bright interjected. 

“Yes, he was always a bit off. But he started getting more…odd… when I was eight-ish. Then, about six weeks before my dad showed up, he was taken into foster care. We tried to find out which house so we could check up on him, but he was gone.” 

“How old was he when he started getting worse?” Bright asked.

Dani lifted her shoulders in a small shrug, “Probably 10 or 11. He’s a couple years older. He showed up again when I was undercover for a white-collar case. He could have broken my cover but didn’t. I was shocked to see him. He…” Her voice took on a different cadence Bright recognized from when she interrogated a suspect, “I was working with Peter and Gil to get him listed as CI and get a plea deal. If he’d help me finish the case and turned witness, he could walk away with immunity. He agreed. Instead, he slipped GHB into my drink and tried to kidnap me.”

The statement landed like a bomb. Bright felt his entire body tense as his mind went razor sharp; JT turned to face the window into the bullpen to collect himself. 

“Gil figured out what was happening and stopped it before Chasen could actually disappear with me,” Dani smiled at Gil.

Seeing Peter about to interject, Gil took over, “Keller stalked Dani after that for about a year. He also sent threatening messages to the others in the group. Then, he disappeared. That was roughly four years ago.”

Bright shook his head, his eyes turning crystalline as he began to pace slightly. His entire focus was on Gil, “Dani has an active stalker and your profiler is just learning about this now?” 

Gil put up a placating hand, “I misspoke. He didn’t quite disappear. Four years ago, we got word Keller was staying at a warehouse at the docks – not far from the warehouse this morning. We raided the place; there was a shoot-out. We found blood; DNA proved it was his, and there was a lot of it. He ran, multiple officers saw him fall into the Hudson. No further contact. Eventually, he was declared dead.”

Dani tried to catch Bright’s eye, “If I thought he was alive, I would have said something. I don’t really like talking about it so it doesn’t come up naturally.” 

Bright pivoted away from Gil, his face softening, “It’s not on you Dani. I get not wanting to share about a traumatic time in your life.” _It still doesn’t explain the conversation in the hospital._

Bright paused, thinking over his next words, “But now, I need to have as much context as you can provide. To build out the profile, to catch him.” His eyes were serious, “He’s coming for you. We need to be ready and on the same page.” 

Dani’s eyes closed. Swallowing hard, she hesitantly continued, “Well, there are some other things you should know.” 

Suddenly, JT called out Gil’s name in a question; his eyes still trained on the bullpen. A man, roughly mid-thirties was stalking toward them. Determination outlined throughout his body; he held a small plastic bag. He was staring at Dani through the window as he walked. 

“That’s not him. Damn It,” Gil exclaimed exasperatedly, “this is not what we need right now.” 

JT saw a streak of black hair as Dani flew by him and out of the conference room. Throwing her arms around the stranger, they embraced.


	5. Echoes of the Past

Bright took in the hug comprehensively - despite his desire to do so. His mind catalogued every element of the touch before he was able to force his eyes to the floor. He immediately started stimming his fingers against his palm. When he looked up, Dani was walking the man into the conference room.

Gil took a few steps forward and shook the stranger’s hand, “Marcus.” Gil’s voice was steady but distant. Peter and Marcus simply nodded at each other.

Dani shifted her weight from her right foot to the left and motioned towards Marcus, starting introductions to Bright and JT, “Guys, this is Marcus. He was part of our friend group.” 

“The muscle I believe,” Peter interjected mildly, “Liked to hurt people I think.” 

Marcus barred his teeth in a wolfish smile, “Like is a strong word. But able to get the job done… Particularly against people in power positions who like to take advantage.” He smiled wickedly at Peter. 

Bright took in the display with an inward eye roll. Two alphas attempting to assert dominance; he smiled slightly when Dani threw both men a warning look causing them to immediately fall quiet. 

Dani motioned to the conference room table, basically ordering Marcus to sit. She stood in between Peter and the newcomer, looking at Gil for permission to proceed. _She’s good at the non-verbal signs of loyalty._ It wasn’t the first time Bright had made the observation, and he always admired it when he witnessed it. He tended to blaze forward relentlessly and then have to double back and remind people he was loyal after the fact. 

Gil took over for Dani and began describing for Marcus the scene at the warehouse. Bright was curious at the action as it was obvious Marcus was not police. Regardless, Bright used the opportunity. Marcus was dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt, muscular, tattoos peeking out at the collar. Bright could see half of one – likely Russian in origin. He looked like typical muscle for a criminal group, but his eyes were sharp and intelligent….and there was something about the way he moved… 

Furious when Gil mentioned Dani’s dad, Bright watched Marcus gesture dramatically. _His hands. They aren’t callused, torn up, bruised. He’s not active physical enforcement; doesn’t work manual labor. He’s fluid in movements – formally trained in either dance or martial arts. Likely martial arts._

“What’s your relationship to Chasen?” Bright interjected when Marcus paused his litany of swears. 

Marcus eyed him but didn’t speak. Bright let his lips unfurl in a predatory smile. The smile widened when he saw Marcus note the energy he was manifesting. _He’s good. Used to survival. Can pick out when it’s best to push or comply strategically._

Marcus complied, “Like Ella already said, we ran together when we were kids.” 

“Ella?” JT looked at Dani. 

Impressive in her eye roll, Dani smiled at JT, “You’re the only one particular about their name. Daniella. When I was with my mom, I went by Ella. It was her name for me. I became Dani with my dad.” Dani shrugged, “It’s not a big deal.” 

_They don’t need someone like me…I became Dani…_ Bright sighed, wishing Marcus and Peter were anywhere but here. He had to fight the urge to grab her hand and lead to her to the nearest corner for Earl Grey and a quiet conversation. “Back to Marcus and Chasen,” he prompted instead. 

“There’s not much to say. I helped keep our friends safe. Chasen was a weird little fucker but one of us. I never let anyone hurt him, or, at least, made them pay if they did. The dad was the only one I couldn’t control, but we’d help him hide when it got bad. Then, he went to foster care. Next time he comes back, he’s stalking Ella and doing shady shit to the rest of us.” Marcus tilted his chin towards Gil, “I helped Gil with tracking down Chasen as a CI.” 

Gil shook his head slightly, “The confidential in confidential informant has always been a difficult concept for Marcus.” The wolfish smile was back. 

Bright moved to the white board, bringing his fingers to his face in thought, “Can you be more specific about what he did to you and your friends when stalking Dani?” 

Marcus tilted his chair back in thought, “Chasen was always obsessed with puzzles, riddles, that sort of thing. He’s always been crazy smart even though he rarely went to school. Ella was the only one who could routinely solve his games as a kid. He did more of the same as an adult just stranger. Chasen would send us riddles written in blood with morbid answers, sent dead flowers to one of our friends at her work… sent me a puzzle box that opened to a human finger.” He looked back at Gil, his eyes scrunched in thought, “From a random cadaver from one of the universities I think.” He continued at Gil’s nod, “That sort of stuff. He never actually approached any of our homes or work places himself. Always through the mail.”

Marcus sighed, rubbing his brow with his hand, “Until this morning that is.” He lifted up the plastic bag, “I found this at my door. Knew who did it so came looking for Ella.” 

A truly concerned look came into Marcus’ brown eyes, as he added softly, “Ella, it’s a dead rabbit.” 

Dani flinched, “God I hope it was dead before whatever Chasen did to it.” 

Marcus stared levelly at her, causing Dani to sink into herself slightly, her fingers going back to playing with her rings. 

Seeing everyone about to interject, Bright decided to take control, “Dani, that’s the second rabbit imagery. Can you tell me about it?”

“It’s Chasen’s nickname for her,” Marcus interrupted, “Bunny.”

JT rocked forward, unable to stop a surprised snort from escaping. Eyeing his partner, his lips wavered amused, “Your nickname was Bunny? How in the hell did that happen?” 

Dani wiped an eyelash off her cheek with her middle finger, “Only person who ever called me that was Chasen and there’s a huge story behind it.” She chuckled at JT’s face, needing the moment of levity. 

Bright smiled gently, “I’d like to hear it. It seems important.” 

This time Peter cut in, “How are old nicknames important? Gil,” he turned to look at the Lieutenant, “The FBI has resources I can tap into. Electronic monitoring, wiretaps, the whole nine yards. I just need to make the collaboration more official.”

Gil immediately shook his head no, saving Bright any anxiety, “I appreciate the offer Peter, but my team has this.” 

Bright ignored the resulting bickering between Marcus and Peter about the FBI and its usefulness. Instead, he gazed at Dani, his eyes calm and comforting. A message seemed to pass between the two and Dani nodded in acceptance. 

“Marcus, I need to talk through a bunch of things with Bright and JT. Were you able to - -”

“Yes. Want me to - -”

“Yep. Make sure they - -”

“Of course. I already set that in motion.”

Dani smiled affectionately, “Thanks.” 

Marcus stood and walked towards Dani placing gentle hands on her shoulder. Leaning in, he kissed her cheek and whispered something serious in her ear. Dani’s face crumpled momentarily in profound sadness before quickly normalizing. She nodded as he squeezed her shoulders, kissed her temple, and walked out. 

“Um, the rabbit.” She swallowed, “There’s a collar around it with an inscription. It’s…” She blinked back tears, “It’s a phrase my dad used to always say to me. I…I don’t know how Chasen would even know about it.” 

Bright’s stomach dropped at the kisses. He tried to focus in on Dani’s new distress with some difficulty. He heaved a sigh; he desperately wanted a break to collect his thoughts but was worried about drawing this out. He looked up to four sets of eyes staring at him. 

He went for a summarized approach instead, pacing, “Ok, here’s what we know. Chasen Keller grew up abused by his father figure and had a largely non-present mother figure. However, he did have consistent protectors – though as fellow children they were unable to consistently protect. You all,” he nodded towards Dani, “were what grounded him for a while. Then, around puberty, his behavior started deviating further from the norm. When he was back, he ‘turned’ on his protective group of friends but never harmed them. Likely, he views the attention and detail he gave you all as a sign of love and affection. His obsession, however,” Bright brought his hands together in a triangle, and stopped in front of Dani, “is with you. You were the only one able to keep up with his mind. He felt more connected with you than the others. You are the only one worthy of his presence and full fledge action both times.”

“What about the rabbit? Is Marcus in danger?” 

Bright paused, dreading the answer to his question, “Does Chasen believe you and Marcus are a couple? You two…seem close.” 

Dani pursed her lips, “A long time ago - college long time ago. He’s not the most…” She smiled slightly, “rule following individual. When I decided to go into law enforcement, it pretty much ended things.”

Peter rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. Bright ignored him, “Did you have a romantic relationship with anyone else in your group?”

Dani shook her head in the negative. Bright nodded, “Then yes, he is likely to be targeted. Anyone Chasen deems a romantic competitor will likely be targeted.” 

Dani shuddered a bit as Gil walked over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, “If anyone can take care of himself Dani, you know he can.”

She nodded and smiled weakly, “I know. Let’s just not add to the body count.” She nodded towards the rabbit. 

“Dani, can you tell me about the rabbit? The phrase on it?”

Dani nodded, exhausted, “Do you mind if I just…take a moment?” 

Everything in Bright melted, “Of course. How about we reconvene in ten?” She threw him a smile, squeezing his arm as she walked by and out of the conference room. Bright followed her trek with his eyes as she headed in the direction of the bathroom. 

“Gil? I’m going to need all the files you can get me. The undercover case, the stalking, anything from her childhood.”

At that, Peter sprang up, “I have some videos from when we first found Dani. I’ll grab my laptop from my car. There are a couple that may be helpful.” 

\--------------------

Dani splashed her face with water; staring at herself in the mirror. A ghost stared back at her. _Fear. Shame. Haunted._

Bright’s face swam in her mind’s eye. What would they think of her once they learned the truth of it all? Dani crossed her arms on the sink counter and lowered her head onto them, unable to look at her own reflection anymore. She pondered how specific she had to be for Bright to build his profile. The problem being the more information she gave about Chasen, the more she revealed about herself. 

She didn’t want Bright to know that grabbing food from dumpsters hadn’t been unusual for her. She rocked a bit on her heels, face still down. The conversation she’d heard him having with JT about the fancy restaurants he and Eve were going to played in her mind. 

She didn’t want JT to know how she’d jump other kids to steal their jackets because they were freezing… 

What would they think when they found out she’d carried a knife before she could read a book? 

She looked up again into the mirror. 

Her mind shifted to memories of an old boyfriend. They had dated for almost 8 months when, as a teacher, she could tell he was losing faith in the kids in his class – disillusioned by the enormity of what everyone faced. So, she had told him. She’d told him as an example of how not to give up on kids. That people could learn at any age. She had thought he would be proud of her…

Instead, he proceeded to correct her grammar at every opportunity, double check her math when she left tips at restaurants, give her condescending ‘good for you’ looks when she read at night, amongst other things, until she left him. She never told anyone again. Not even Gil knew, though he probably already guessed given the other information he had. 

_That’s the funny thing about trauma. It’s the victim who feels the shame._ She couldn’t imagine her mother feeling bad about any of that. Dr. Whitly certainly didn’t for what he did to Bright. 

Her bones felt like they were made of dust. 

Sighing, Dani pulled her shoulders back. _Suck it up Buttercup._ Her dad’s favorite sports-related saying rang in her head. 

Her grandma’s voice was next. _Sometimes you’ve gotta just play the cards in front of you, knowing you’ll survive in the end._

She drew on her memories of them to center herself. _They’re proud of me. They were always so proud of me. Even when they learned about the bad stuff, they just told me I was a survivor._

Dani turned and walked out of the bathroom, stumbling a bit when she almost ran into Bright. He startled, almost like he was surprised she was there, though he was standing right outside the woman’s bathroom door. 

His eyes roamed, settling anywhere but on her, “Um, so, I don’t really eat, but I’ve found after a panic attack my blood sugar drops; so I found you a cookie; it may be old; it was in the breakroom, in a box, in a cabinet, and I don’t know how long, but I found a cookie.” Said all in one breath, Dani was having trouble following. Bright held a chocolate chip cookie in front of her face. “I also found milk.” He waited a beat, “I think it was for coffee but I poured some anyway. It’s on the conference room table.” 

His eyes were childlike, causing Dani to feel a flush of warmth. She smiled shyly, “I’d love cookies and milk.” 

Bright’s entire face lit up as he rocked back excitedly. Grabbing her elbow, he walked double-paced back to the conference room with Dani hurrying to keep up, trying not to laugh, to where cookies and milk waited.


	6. When North Stars are Needed

JT didn’t like this. Didn’t like the look on Peter’s face as he connected his laptop to a screen, eager to help and pleased with himself. He didn’t like that Gil looked a thousand years older. And he certainly didn’t like what he was learning about Dani.

There was a large part of him that understood her silence. However, the onslaught of new information about the woman he called partner and family for the past three years seemed to hammer at something inside him regardless. 

He glanced at the absurdity in front of him. Dani sitting on the table, cross-legged, eating cookies and drinking milk, while Bright stood over her looking like he had just been given a medal. Gil watched from a chair in the corner with a small smile on his face… 

He shook his head. When you go to war, you have to know who has your back. You don’t have to like them. You don’t have to believe in them. But you do have to know them. Looking down, he shook his head again. _This is bullshit._

JT looked up; this time to find Bright’s eyes boring into his. Reading him. Analyzing him. Invading… JT felt an uncomfortable itchiness spread across his skin and the resulting impulse to defend himself. _Bullshit._

He moved to take a step towards Dani; Bright immediately did the same, jaw setting. The message was clear. _Not now._

“Here we are,” Peter projected a video onto the screen and pressed play.

Dani put down the third cookie she’d been munching on quickly, “Um, what’s…” She trailed off as the TV came to life. 

Three of the most important people in her life sat at a table next to chairs and couches. The office was colorful, filled with children’s books and toys. She knew that office intimately. Had breakdowns and acts of defiance; screams and moments of silence; lamented and laughed. Miss Mary’s office. 

Miss Mary walked towards her dad and grandmother. Instantly, just from the energy manifesting from the video, she knew what was about to happen. It was the moment she was saved but didn’t know it yet. It was also the moment she had experienced some of the deepest fear she had ever felt. 

A chill settled over her; at the same time, she couldn’t muster any desire to turn off the video - couldn’t even look at her team to know what they were thinking. She was going to hear their voices again.

Miss Mary spoke, her voice soft yet commanding, “Remember, Michelle told Ella, Michael, and Eric you were dead.” Looks of disgust crossed her father and grandmother’s faces. “We’ve already gone over some of what their life looked like. Remember what we talked about. Ella will be hostile; what little stability she had just fundamentally crumbled - and you two are at the center of it. We’ll help her understand with time, but our goal today is simply to introduce you. If we can get her to listen, even for a moment, that will be a big win. Don’t count on it, and don’t worry if it doesn’t happen.”

Miss Mary had specialized in therapy for traumatized children. She had several special certifications from the FBI and the Center for Missing and Exploited Children to help integrate recovered children with their families. She’d learn that later, though. All Dani had known at this point, was that Mama had bailed, her older brother was under arrest, and she had spent the night trying to keep her younger brother from completely self-destructing… all while wondering what the hell had just happened. The fact Chasen had disappeared once taken made her rigid with fear, wondering if she was about to disappear into the unknown herself. Wondering if she’d ever see her brother and friends again. Wondering if Eric was about to be taken from her… what that would mean for him.

Watching the video, Dani could feel her stomach churn and sweat break out on the back of her neck. Her body remembered that terror as though she was there again. 

Vaguely, she heard someone ask her a question, but her eyes were settled on the screen. Miss Mary, her father, and grandmother were moving from the table to a more informal sitting arrangement on the chairs and couches.

A young Ella and Eric suddenly made an appearance. Entering, her little brother clung to her. His head wedged into the middle of her shoulder blades; his hands fisted in her shirt so tightly, Dani could see the paleness of his knuckles translated onto the screen. Ella’s arms reached behind her, grabbing at Eric’s torso to help him stay behind her better. She shielded her brother, facing the coming danger head on. 

None of her experiences so far had led her to believe the reassurances of the officers and social workers. To the depth of her core, she had just known only danger could possibly face her in that room. Adults were dangerous, unpredictable. She was alone with Eric and her friends weren’t coming for backup. Dani remembered the adrenaline surge she had gotten as the door to Miss Mary’s office snapped shut. 

On screen, Ella’s face contorted into a snarl. Feral and bright, ready for blood.

A whisper, deep with sadness, sounded to Dani’s side, “You’re so scared.” 

Eyes glued to the unfolding memory, Dani couldn’t take her mind off the screen long enough to process who had spoken. 

“Hello Ella, we spoke before. I’m Mary. I’m here to help you understand what’s happening and to introduce you to your father and grandmother.” Miss Mary leaned her head a bit trying to see around Ella, “Hello Eric.” 

Ella jerked Eric to the side, facing Miss Mary more directly, “My dad’s dead bitch. Where’s Michael?”

The slur didn’t have the desired impact. Miss Mary’s face remained calm and kind as she responded, “Michael is going to be released soon and will join you at your foster home tomorrow. The police understand the situation.” 

Ella scoffed, “The situation? You mean when you broke down the door and attacked us.” Her older brother had thrown her and Eric under a table when the door had splintered in. Michael, her most fervent protector, had grabbed a kitchen knife, swinging it at everyone and anything who’d come near the three of them until an officer tased him. Ella had learned a long time ago not to scream, but watching her brother’s body convulse had caused her to scream until her chest felt split in two. 

Dani still had nightmares about it. 

Miss Mary smiled sadly, “Yes, I know this means nothing right now, but we really wish it hadn’t happened that way.” Miss Mary ignored Ella’s eye roll, “Today is going to be simple. We talked quite a bit yesterday about how your father and grandmother were here, alive.” Ella snarled again as Miss Mary continued, “It’s quite alright you don’t believe us. I am not asking you to. I am simply telling you what I know is true. My job,” She placed her hand on her chest, “isn’t to try and convince you of anything. My job is to listen. I’m here for you, not them.” 

“How touching. If you’re here for me, then help me get home.” 

Miss Mary smiled, undeterred, “We talked about that earlier as well. Ella, would it be ok if Eric stood up straight? He seems uncomfortable crouched behind your back.”

“He does what he wants.” 

“I imagine he’ll only stand up straight if you tell him it's safe to do so?” 

Ella’s grip on her brother’s torso only tightened as she eyed the three strangers. What were they playing at, trying to get Eric more revealed? She looked around for any objects they could throw at his head. There were a ton of books, toys, and of course the chairs. “No chance in hell lady.” 

Miss Mary simply nodded in acceptance, “You’re very good at protecting him.”

“I’m very good at beating the shit out of people who want to hurt him too.” 

A small, proud smile emerged on Miss Mary’s face, taking Ella off guard, “I can tell. That’s important, taking care of your siblings and being able to protect yourself. You should be proud of that.”

Ella shifted slightly from foot to foot, defensive, smelling a trap but not sure what it may be, “I am.” 

Miss Mary gestured slowly and carefully towards the man sitting next to her, “This is your father. His name is Charles.” 

Ella eyed the man claiming to be her father. He was watching her and Eric like a hawk, taking in every movement. The gaze was intense – thirsty - like he hadn’t had anything to drink in days. The old woman was looking at them in the same way. A deep unsettledness built within Ella. This wasn’t the same look as the addicts or the pervs. This was a different look and she didn’t know what it meant. _Fuck._

The man leaned forward a bit, opening his mouth to speak. Ella jerked herself and Eric back immediately. Leaning back again, he lifted his hands placatingly, “Ella, would it help if all of us put our hands on our laps so you can see them?” His voice was warm but sad. She shrugged, and they complied. 

_What the fuck are these guys up to?_

Miss Mary continued introductions, “Eric, Ella, this is your grandmother. Her name is Lucy.”

“It’s very nice to meet you Ella, Eric. We’ve been searching for you for a very long time,” The woman’s eyes were filled with tears and her hands, gnarled with age, shook slightly. 

Ella felt a little need to explain emerge, “Look. There’s been a mix up. I’m sorry old lady, but we aren’t your grandkids or whatever.” She looked at Miss Mary, “If you want to help, we need to get home.”

“We spoke about that earlier, and we can talk about it again later this afternoon. Right now, I just wanted to introduce your father – Charles – and your grandmother – Lucy.”

A gravelly voice rose out of the grandmother, “Your mother isn’t there to take care of you right now anyways.” 

Three looks immediately were thrown at Lucy. Two in warning; one as though Lucy was the dumbest person on the planet.

“My mom. Seriously?” She scanned all three faces in horrified disbelief, “You’re waiting on my fucking mother. What the hell does she have to do with me, Eric, and Michael being home?” _Do they think she’s like…necessary or something?_

The idea that anyone could believe her mother was necessary for them to be safe and navigate the neighborhood was obviously not from her neighborhood. The feeling of unsettledness grew. These weren’t just strangers; they were outsiders. Her fingers tightened around Eric, resulting in a small hooting noise. She was hurting him; she lessened her grip slightly. 

“We can talk about that this afternoon as well, when I come to the foster home. Right now, I simply wanted to introduce Charles and Lucy. And with introductions complete, how about we head back out?” Miss Mary stood up, the movement startling Ella. 

A command issued out of her mouth without thinking. Eric let go of her and rolled into a ball, hands covering his head to protect it from blows. Ella grabbed the nearest object to her, a lamp, and fell back into a fighting stance. 

Everyone froze. 

Ella scanned the group and analyzed the scene. The old lady simply started crying, tears rolling silently down her face. _No threat physically, she’ll be easy to dodge. She could get hurt though. Try and avoid._

The woman, Mary, had put her hands up as though Ella was holding a gun, her face calm but tight, eyes narrowed. She was speaking in a steady voice, probably thought it was soothing, trying to get her to put the lamp down. _Likely knows how to put someone in a hold. Don’t let her get a grip on my arms._

The man though…the man was another thing all together. He’d frozen but not in shock like the women. His eyes had gotten sharper, more focused if anything. _Used to action._ He’d frozen to help control the scene not because he’d been surprised by it. She’d also seen his right-hand twitch towards his waist automatically. _Clean cut, no tattoos… Shit. A cop._ The most likely of the possibilities. _Well, he’s probably not going to beat us, but I can’t fucking go to juvie with Eric by himself._ Her mind kept trying to come up with ways to get out of this. She couldn’t escalate but backing down might make her look weak, and she needed to protect Eric. 

Suddenly, the man smiled - kind and knowing. He held his hands up like Mary’s and slowly slid off the chair and sat on the ground. Still holding the lamp up, Ella felt herself start to come down a bit. He’d have a hard time getting up fast in that position.

The man looked at Mary and away from her, causing Ella to follow his line of sight. A deep baritone voice, calm and measured came from him, “Mary, do you mind if I talk to Ella for a second?” After Mary’s nod, he turned back to Ella, making sure to not look her in the eyes, “Ella, I know absolutely none of this makes sense to you. I imagine adults have been the bane of your existence. Dangerous? Unpredictable? Stupid or – even worse – cunning? I imagine there has never been a reason for you to trust them and there suddenly isn’t one now. You’re smart. We need to prove ourselves first. That’s smart. They told us how you protect Eric. We’re seeing that now. I want to thank you.” 

At the thank you, Ella bit her lip. _What’s he playing at?_

The man continued, hands remaining up, “I think there has been a lot of things and a lot of people telling you who you are - what you’re worth. I think there were a lot of adults pulling you down into darkness. Forcing you there.” He risked a look into her eyes, grief pouring out of his own, “I can’t tell you how sorry I am about that.” 

_Darkness?_ She had no idea what he was on about… but something about that word rang true somewhere deep inside her. A word she’d been searching for but hadn’t realized.

He looked back at her chest, “I was told how you and your friends take care of each other. Of Michael’s bravery in the face of strangers invading his home. How you kept Eric calm all night and wouldn’t let any of the adults near him.”

“I imagine the case workers and your foster care parents kept trying to tell you it was ok. Stupid when you know what adults are capable of. I want to thank you for protecting him and yourself right now. But we aren’t going to hurt you.” 

At that, Ella opened her mouth to retort, but the man gestured for her to wait a second. She stayed silent, her head cocking and eyes narrowing. No adult had ever thanked her for anything before. _Seriously, what’s his game?_

“I don’t expect you to believe me, for fuck’s sake.” Ella could help but smile slightly at the old lady’s gasp. “I mean, hell, I wouldn’t believe me either.” The man sighed deeply, shifted around, his arms still raised where Ella could see them easily. He was now sitting cross legged. _Even more difficult to get up for a fight._ She lowered the lamp slightly.

“Ella, I know the promise of an adult is meaningless right now. So, I’m going to do something different. I’m going to make you a vow. Do you know what a vow is?” Despite herself, her head jerked in the negative. 

“A vow is like an oath – like the kind knights make in stories. It’s bigger, deeper than a promise. Have you heard of those?” She nodded slightly. 

He looked into her eyes; his own filled with something Ella had no name for. He put one hand on his chest over his heart, “A lot of people pulled you down into darkness against your will. And in that darkness, you found the courage to love and defend others. I vow to show the same courage and walk with you and your brothers in that darkness for as long as you need. And when you all are ready… I vow to do everything I can to help you walk in the light again. Because you can’t be alone when reclaiming life.”

“I have no fucking clue what you are talking about, you weird ass man.” She lowered the lamp and put it back on the table. 

The man named Charles smiled, soft and gentle, still meeting her eyes, “I swear all of this…until the day I die.” 

At that, Dani slipped out of the conference room. A small ‘excuse me’ the only sound in the silence.


	7. Setting a Direction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smaller chapter before the case picks up in earnest.

Dani tried desperately to stem the flow of tears. She’d never been a crier – to the point where Miss Mary had actively tried to teach her how to cry, claiming it would be good for her. _Seriously Miss Mary,_ Dani thought, exasperated at both herself and her former therapist. _Crying is so overrated._ She laughed silently through her tears as she imagined Miss Mary’s response to that dictate. 

Dani slid to the floor of the woman’s bathroom. It wasn’t so much that Dani felt sad. She couldn’t name the emotions swirling inside her. _Can you have all of them at once?_ Dani imagined Miss Mary’s response again, missing the woman she’d grown to love and respect over time. 

She thought of Bright and his emotions, seemingly churning and powerful all the time. Her mind shifted again, this time to the night at Estime’s club. Bright had loved the desire - the feelings - associated with cocaine. She had loved the feeling of nothingness. No responsibility. No pain. No death. No worry. No fear. No happiness. No love. Just numbness. Her rehab counselor had a lot to say about that when she’d finally admitted it. 

Dani wiped her ring fingers under her eyes to make sure her mascara wasn’t running. She’d have to face everyone. A rush of anger helped end the tears. _Why the hell did Peter played the video? I could’ve explained it in 3 minutes._ Just as suddenly, the anger left. She leaned her head against the wall. _It is what it is._

Slowly, she tried to muster the energy to stand.

The creaking of the door made her look up. Bright’s head suddenly appeared in the gap, his eyes peeking out behind a curtain of hair, wide and open. “I know this is the girl’s bathroom, but can I come in?”

The hopefulness in his voice made her smile slightly. She gestured towards the wall opposite her, “If you’d like to sit on the floor of a police precinct bathroom in a very fancy suit, you are welcome to.” 

He smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners, and fully focused on her. She shifted slightly under the weight.

Bright slide down the wall opposite her, stretching his legs out long so the sides of their legs were pressed against each other. He reached out and put an anchoring hand on Dani’s ankle.

“So, this is a really great Monday.” 

Dani’s eyebrows rose at Bright’s attempt at humor, a soft snort escaping her before she could stop it, “It’s been wonderful.” 

They fell into a comfortable silence, Dani still trying to understand what she felt or thought about any of this anymore. Bright simply started stroking his thumb absentmindedly against her ankle, waiting.

Eventually, a need to feel slightly professional rose to the surface, “We should probably get out there. Everyone’s waiting.” 

Bright rolled his eyes slightly and shrugged his shoulders not caring in the least, “They can wait. We’re not in any hurry right now.” He continued to stroke her ankle as they fell silent again. 

“The phrase on the rabbit says, ‘You need people to reclaim life.’ My dad used to say it all the time over the years. Whenever we pushed them away or did something,” she held her hands up in a quotes movement, “wrong.” 

She paused considering, “I have no idea how Chasen would know that. He was gone by then.” 

Bright directed the conversation away from work, “Your dad and grandmother seem pretty incredible.” 

Dani wrinkled her nose, her smile finally reaching her eyes, “Yeah. My grandma took no nonsense from us. She was the disciplinarian but was always warm and fair about it. We needed it… though that’s definitely hindsight appreciation only.” 

Dani’s dimples started to appear next, “My dad was extremely even keeled. We’d almost never get in trouble with him. He’d try and get to the why behind it all… and then he’d say his little catch phrase.” Dani mimicked her dad’s voice affectionately, “You need people to reclaim life Dani.” She glanced down at her hands, “And then he’d help me figure out how to do it differently next time. That would be the end of it.” 

“They handled…everything…so well.” 

“They did. It was hard. Really hard. But they did.” She tucked her hair behind her ears, “I used to run away at the beginning. To check on the others or just to get some space. Michael used to do the same. At first, we’d take Eric with us. When we felt like he’d be safe with them, we started going off by ourselves. Instead of getting upset, my grandma started inviting my friends over. When they realized there was consistent food and stability, everyone started just randomly dropping by. Money was tight but my dad and grandma always made sure everyone was fed, got new clothes, the whole nine yards.”

Bright hummed in appreciation. He hesitated a moment then asked a question he thought he knew the answer to, “Eric. He has autism?” 

Dani nodded, smiling gently, “Eric’s amazing; my favorite person. Never had a name for it until Miss Mary. He was just Eric to us. We just sort of figured it out as best we could until we were found. Miss Mary put us in touch with specialists and then helped develop a comprehensive plan.” 

She huffed, “I was not fan at first. Michael and I were the only ones who had ever taken care of him. Now there was all these adults who we had never met trying to interfere. I…” Dani paused and looked down slightly ashamed, “Others trying to help Eric without Michael’s or my permission became an all-out war. The first time they took him to a doctor appointment without us, we grabbed him that night and disappeared for a week. Completely freaked out my dad and grandma. After that, Miss Mary suggested we be fully incorporated despite our age. My dad and grandma had wanted to be the adults,” she wrinkled her nose slightly amused, “like, you know, healthy people, but with Eric… We just needed to be involved. Eventually, we found a balance and my dad was able to get Eric into some amazing programs.”

She smiled wistfully, “He lives at a small residential home near me.” 

Bright shook his head a bit in wonder, the conversation he overheard in the hospital coming back to him, “You are the strangest combination of both realism and loyalty I think I’ve ever met.” 

His eyes shone at her, touching something terrifying and overwhelming in its warmth. Just as quickly, a sinking feeling emerged in her chest, “Bright, when I arrested you - -”

“Don’t. I fit the profile; I had suspicious behavior, and…I had stopped talking to you weeks earlier.” Bright shifted uncomfortably, “There are reasons for that - -”

“Why?” She mentally kicked herself for the question when it came unbidden out of her mouth. But oh, how she had wondered. 

Bright looked at his hands, the left slightly starting to shake, a wave of terror starting to rush forward. He took a deep breath, “I think for many reasons; several I still don’t understand myself. But, one thing I do know, is that I struggle with friendships.” 

He gazed at the floor, “Not the loyalty part. Not the caring part. But the showing up part. Being present in any sort of consistent way. When Dr. Whitly was arrested, I was in no shape to have any sort of connection. Then, when the trial started, suddenly some people wanted to be my friend.” 

His neck heated under the memories of old humiliations, “They really just wanted to know salacious details. They didn’t want anything to do with me really.” He glanced up at Dani, finding nothing but soft brown eyes. 

“Then I found Vijay and had, what I thought, was a real friend. That only lasted a little while.” Bright felt the impulse to ramble and checked himself, “In sum, I’ve never had to be there for someone outside my family, Gil, and Jackie. Not for any extended period of time. As a result, I’ve never had anyone try and be there... for me... either.” 

He considered Dani for a moment and simply said, “I don’t quite know what to do with you.” 

The poignancy of the moment lingered in the air; a sense of acknowledgment that his statement was true and needed to be expressed. Dani felt a sense of opportunity teetering on a razor’s edge.

_You need people to reclaim life._ But not just any people, Dani had learned that lesson as well. The right people. Before she could second-guess herself, she met him in that space. 

“Miss Mary used to say everyone’s walking a journey, everyone’s messy. Lack of mess isn’t what to look for; that just means they’re lying or in denial. The most important thing is to find people who desire goodness and are walking in the same direction as you.” 

Dani smiled softly, “That’s you, you know. I never thought you were your father – even if you had made a profound mistake. And…it sounds like we are trying to head in the same direction.” 

A release occurred. Both in the air and in them. An energy, always in the undercurrent, rose up, poignant and tense, as they locked eyes. 

Bright felt something shift inside him, a blockage starting to loosen. It hurt. It was euphoric. 

A knock on the door startled them both, breaking the spell. 

The door opened a crack and JT’s face popped into the bathroom. “Um, I found some Oreos.”

Laughter bubbled out of Dani, desperate and desperately needed.


	8. Margin and Mischief

His mood matched the darkness of his loft as he turned the key and hung up with Ainsley’s doctor. Malcolm’s twice weekly debriefing left a bitter taste in his mouth. Two months into confinement and his sister was still oscillating between dissociation and fury. They began a new medication regime last week, and it seemed to be building enough in her system for some change. She was now following people with her eyes – wary but no fury. Not yet, at least. 

Now there was Dani. Malcolm smiled at Sunshine, opening her cage and watching her take her evening flight around the apartment. Listening to her happy song, he stood and breathed deep, trying for a little mindfulness to offset the anxiety. _She’s safe._ He repeated his mantra several more times as he breathed. 

Dani had resisted protection until Gil had put his foot down. Unis outside the front and back doors of her building and one outside her actual apartment in plain clothes. He smiled at the memory of Dani’s truly epic eye roll once she felt safe Gil couldn’t see. 

Malcolm undressed, wanting a shower to strip the day away. He let the water pour over his body, again mindfully trying to focus on temperature and sensation. Leaning a hand against the wall, his head bowed under the weight of it. Ainsley hospitalized, Dani under protection, unknown threats lingering in the shadows. 

_Maybe I should make an appointment with Gabrielle._ His mother certainly had been encouraging it. He laughed, turning his face into the water. His mother, the one who’d been spending an inordinate amount of time with a certain police Lieutenant…and trying desperately to hide it from him. He was happy for his mother. It was weird, but he was happy for her. 

Drying off, he eyed the bed. It almost beckoned… an odd feeling for an insomniac, but there was too much to do. Instead, Malcolm grabbed the files from today and headed upstairs to his office.

The office was carefully constructed chaos. Piles of manila folders were everywhere, some stacks reaching 3 to 4 feet high. The strange obstacle course was comprised of dossiers on every staff member, coach, tutor, and teacher Malcolm or Ainsley had consistent interactions with – or could have - starting a year before Dr. Whitly’s arrest until Ainsley’s graduation from high school. They had hired a private security firm populated with former intelligence officers to begin the search, while he and his mother had been forced to focus on the immediate fall out of the Endicott incident… as his mother called it. 

They were still waiting for the second delivery; this time focused on John Watkins and everyone – or rather anyone – of substance he had been close to or interacted with regularly. 

Fingers rubbing his brow, he eyed the room. He had planned on taking a week to cull through everything in order to narrow down the list. He had hoped Ainsley would be talking by now. Malcolm heaved the files on Chasen further onto his shoulder, looking around. There wasn’t much room left in the office for Dani’s case. 

The video had continued after her father’s declaration, though by that time Dani hadn’t been in any state to see. The therapist, Mary, had gone through each of Dani’s friends in the group. Helping Lucy and Charles understand why Dani had been so focused on getting back home. Malcolm begrudgingly admitted the run down had been helpful from a profiler’s point of view. Though he was hesitant to give Peter much credit for anything. 

Memories of the look on Dani’s – Ella’s – face when she had first come on video had Malcolm rubbing his eyes again. Naked, unadulterated fear. 

Sighing for what felt like the eighth time that day, Malcolm sat the Chasen Keller files near his desk chair and began systematically going through them. After the video debacle, Edrisa had come back with the test results from the blood. Human, the same human; there was a body somewhere. Eyeing Dani’s exhaustion, Malcolm had called off any further inquiries into rabbit imageries, past traumas, and all the other questions bouncing around in his mind. Now, he wrote down questions still lingering and new ones as they emerged for the morning.

_Something about this is very off._

Words jumped out at him as he read the police reports from the previous stalking episode. Chasen had literally disappeared only months after entering foster care. Child Protective Services assumed he had run away, but Malcolm dismissed that out of hand. He would have gone straight back to Dani and his friends. 

_Gross neglect as a child; evidence of chronic abuse; no schooling but signs of being highly gifted; medical neglect… Dani’s been underplaying her time with her mom if this was the treatment her friends received and it was ‘normal.’_

A flash of rage coursed through his veins. Rage at Dani’s mother, rage at Chasen, rage at Peter… the rage morphed into coldness at the thought of Marcus… then settled into disquiet. Things weren’t adding up. Memories of Dani’s comments swam together like puzzle pieces. 

_I know money laundering._

_I did it all by the book. I just also made a call._

_Bright may be used to dealing with the type but not the organization. He is._

_Chasen showed up again when I was undercover for a white-collar case._

_My dad received an anonymous tip we were in New York City, specifically calling out the Bronx. It included pictures of our faces – enough for facial recognition and age progression to give about a 70% chance of it being us – but no identifying landmarks._

Malcolm pulled out his computer on a hunch and ran an image search for Marcus’ tattoo, wanting to understand its meaning. Sure enough… _Apprentice to a Master Money Launderer._

A surety settled over him. There was another player. One that been interacting with Dani since childhood. An adult to their youth.

Malcolm looked around his office. The stacks upon stakes of papers. His time was full…

Dani’s smile – all squinted eyes and dimples – came to the forefront of his mind. 

Carefully and methodically, Malcolm began moving files. 

\---------------------------------

His morning ride didn’t look happy to see him. Bright sipped his coffee to cover his smile as the detective’s car pulled up alongside him. JT’s face looked like a mixture of stifled grimace and a hazy need for more coffee. Smiling winningly, Bright held up a second cup of coffee, “Black with three sugars.” 

JT cocked an eyebrow, “Don’t profile my coffee.” Despite the comment, JT eagerly reached for the to-go cup as Bright stifled another smile. 

“I’ve settled in a rhythm with Peter. We’re going to touch base around 11 and at close of day. He’s running through old leads from the last time Keller showed up,” JT jumped into the case. In part because he knew concern for Dani was at the forefront of their minds, and because he had no idea what to talk to Bright about outside of work. “Peter mentioned Marcus has been a CI for the FBI as well…usually only for cases where the FBI is coordinating with Major Crimes.” JT gave Bright the side eye waiting to see a reaction to Marcus’ name. 

Bright gave none. 

“Marcus also moved Eric to a ‘safe house.’ No other information. It’s weird Dani seems fine with a criminal having access to her brother.” 

Bright sipped his coffee. 

“But I guess her brother would be comfortable with him given they grew up together and Dani dated Marcus for a while.” This time JT risked an outright look at Bright’s face. Impassive. 

JT took a long sip of coffee. He didn’t know exactly why he wanted a reaction from Bright. Maybe it was too early. He hadn’t gotten much sleep last night between Tally’s uncomfortable twisting and turning and his own anxious stomach. But he did. The need to see Bright stutter or go quiet with rage or babble in nervousness scratched at him. 

“And Gil seems weirdly ok with it as well. He and Marcus seem to have some sort of understanding. Gil’s like that though, understanding where he probably shouldn’t. He’s been going to see Ainsley with your mom, right?” At that, JT winced. _Too far._

“I get your mad at Dani, but please leave my family out it,” Bright’s response was steady, like he had expected something like this. It only got under JT’s skin further. 

“I’m not mad at Dani. You’re –" 

“I am,” At Bright’s calm statement, JT went silent. “I’m annoyed I didn’t know any of this before. I’m hurt that I’ve told her things about my past, things she’s encouraged me to share, while apparently not telling me large portions about herself. But more than that,” Bright focused hard on the coffee cup’s lid, “I’m angry at myself for never asking. Did you ever ask her?” 

JT opened his mouth to answer, but Bright cut him off, “Truly ask her. Not just assumed she’d share of her own volition.”

JT sorted through the last 3 years of partnership with Dani. They’d talk about random things on stakeouts. _Of course, I’ve asked her questions about her childhood._ He was having trouble coming up with any examples though. He never so much as asked questions as they’d shared stories – stories of his time deployed or stories from her times undercover. _Tally must have…_ But then, Dani was usually around Tally in a group, like when they went to shoot pool or when Gil had the team over for a BBQ. 

The silence was a bit damning. 

“That’s what I thought. Like I said, she never told me, but I also never asked.” 

“She should have offered,” JT turned to look and saw Bright’s raised eyebrows. He plowed on, “I mean, we knew about your pops by the end the first case. Dani engaged in criminal activity –"

“Dani broke some laws as a child to survive. There is a hell of a lot of difference,” Bright’s voice injected, firm and unmovable in his assurance. 

JT’s lips flattened into a line. He knew Bright was right. He wasn’t sure why this was eating at him so much. JT flexed his fingers against the steering wheel as Bright kept going, “There is no way you didn’t spend large portions of last night reading the files about Chasen and the stalking. You saw the same video. Dani survived an incredibly difficult childhood and, when every adult who was supposed to model positive behavior failed, she intuitively began caring for others. Acting as their primary nurturer and guardian. She’s still the same Dani,” Bright shook his head softly, “If anything her protective nature is even more on display.”

“She does like strays.” _Fuck. Too far again._

The silence in the car became deafening. 

Bright waited, trusting their relationship had evolved enough that JT would self-correct eventually. In the meantime, he focused on pushing the self-condemning thoughts that always mocked him about Dani back into the hole where he tried to keep them. 

“Well, she has shown good judgement since then at least,” JT drummed his fingertips against the steering wheel as Bright hid another smile in his coffee cup. “It’s just weird to think of Dani in that situation. I mean, we’ve had each other’s back for three years. Not a word…” 

Bright hummed thoughtfully, “It was a bit like war I imagine.” He eyed JT, “When you are deployed to the front lines, you have the mission but equally so the desire to get everyone home alive. Everything about Dani’s childhood centered around keeping everyone alive and the mission of avoiding adults. Then, suddenly, she had to adjust. It must have been quite the whiplash.”

“Like coming home from deployment,” JT nodded thoughtfully. “See that all the time.” Memories of nightmares, snapping at Tally when he got anxious in crowds, swerving to avoid debris in the road convinced it was an IED in New York, flashed in his mind. _No wonder Dani didn’t want to talk about it. I hate talking about Iraq and Afghanistan._ It was one thing to tell the occasional war story about your buddies. It was another to dive deep into what it was like truly to be at war. Gratefully, Bright moved the topic along.

“Speaking of Dani, I sent her a text this morning, but she hasn’t responded. I was thinking about calling when you pulled up. Have you heard from her?”

“Gil said he spoke to her pretty early, like 6 A.M.”

Bright furrowed his brow, “Huh, I texted her at 6:30.”

“I didn’t get a response either. I texted her around 7.” 

It was 7:30. The men glanced at each other. “How upset do you think she’d be if we picked her up and escorted her into work?”

JT huffed, “We’ll need to stop for more coffee and definitely bribe her forgiveness for hovering with a donut.”

“Done.” At that, Bright called Dani. It went straight to voicemail. 

A feeling of foreboding swept through him, “JT, voicemail.” 

Without hesitation, JT grabbed the radio. Calling into the officers at Dani’s place, he asked for a status report. The officers at the front and back of the building responded and confirmed nothing suspicious. The officer outside her door remained silent. 

The feeling of dread increased as JT reiterated the call to check in. 

Silence. 

They were only about a minute away from the apartment, but JT ordered the officer in the front to go check it out. 

The car was barely stopped when Bright was out and running. In the distance, he heard calls for “Officer Down.”


	9. Poetry Slam

It had been two hours since Dani was confirmed missing. 

Bright felt a calm coldness take over his body and mind, razor sharp and honed to an edge. 

The precinct was a madhouse. Gil had officers chasing down every possible lead and canvassing the neighborhood, hoping someone had seen something. The officer outside Dani’s door was alive, injected with a highly powerful sedative. There were no signs of a struggle. Bright could only assume Dani received the same treatment. 

“He hasn’t left the city,” Bright announced as Gil walked in. Bright looked away from the parchment taped to the white board. His entire focus had been confined to that 8 by 11 sheet of paper.  
Bright had found it resting on Dani’s bed when he had rushed in looking for her. 

Now, as he shifted his attention, he noted the deepening worry lines on Gil’s face; the way Gil was bent slightly and walking slowly. Gil, who usually stood during debriefings, sat facing Bright. 

“I need Marcus here Gil. The answer is something from their childhood.” 

The poem pointed to Dani’s location; Bright was sure of it. “It’s Chasen’s way of reminding us we don’t know Dani like he does. I need Marcus…or someone else who had intimate knowledge of Dani’s life with her mother.” Bright eyed Gil for any tells. 

“I was finally able to get through. Marcus wasn’t taken; he’ll be here any second.” 

Bright read the poem again, letting it sink into his pours.

> Within the night
> 
> There was the need for protection
> 
> We huddled around the light
> 
> Passing the guardian
> 
> Kroliks or Krysas
> 
> Damned by Water
> 
> Saved by a Barter
> 
> Spyashchaya Krasavitsa 

“The first four lines are a reference to their childhood. I just have no idea what it means. Kroliks is Russian for Bunny…Dani,” Bright nodded his head like it was a given, “While Krysas means rat. I’m not sure if that is Dani or –”

“It is.” 

Bright turned quickly at the sound of Marcus’ voice. He stood, angry yet focused, framed in the doorway. 

“I hear you all let Chasen get Dani.” Neither Bright nor Gil rose the bait. At their silence, Marcus walked further into the room and settled himself, “Chasen left one of his little games?” 

Bright nodded, “The first four lines reference her location. It’s from your childhood. The rest is the current threat.” 

“Krysas is another nickname for Dani.”

A single eyebrow rose over ice blue eyes, “You all run around nicknaming each other in Russian often?” 

Marcus shrugged, “It was given by an associate of her mother’s.” Bright’s eyes sharpened; that was more than he expected Marcus to give.

“I assume Chasen’s using it as a threat? Calling Dani a rat… is it because she became a cop?” 

“You’d assume wrong. Like I said, it’s a nickname, an affectionate nickname. Like Bunny.” Marcus smiled a bit sadly at Bright, “Dani lends toward unique nicknames. What does Damned by Water, Saved by a Barter, Spyashchaya Krasavitsa mean?”

Bright shook his head, “I’m not sure. Spyashchaya Krasavitsa is Russian for Sleeping Beauty. We think Dani was knocked out with a sedative. I’m not sure about the water.”

“We have officers combing the warehouses where Chasen fell into the Hudson just in case,” Gil interjected. “Where were you?” 

Marcus smiled his wolf smile, “Addressing a business issue and making sure colleagues knew it would be a bad idea to partner with Chasen.”

JT walked in, mouth flattening at Marcus’ statement. Addressing Gil, he got straight to the point, “Peter has no idea but has federal agents at the airports and train stations.”

Bright shook his head frustrated; his hand tremored, “He’s not leaving New York. Not yet. Marcus, the first half of the poem. What does it mean?” 

Chasen headed to the white board, “Shitty poem.”

Bright’s eyes turned to ice, “I don’t care if it’s Shakespeare. What does it mean?” 

Marcus eyed Bright, then turned back to the poem.

> Within the night
> 
> There was the need for protection 
> 
> We huddled around the light
> 
> Passing the guardian 

“Night wasn’t great for most of us. Parents would go on benders, people would be exhausted from the day and take it out on us, a parent’s boyfriend or girlfriend of the moment would get overly mean or too friendly, that sort of thing. We always had a place to bolt to. I think she’s in one of those.”

“That would explain the first two lines. What about the second set?”

“I’m not sure…. passing the guardian….” Marcus thought for a moment while Bright tried not to shake him. 

“There was house in the neighborhood with mean owner. He hated most kids but he also was a bit understanding of the – situations - we’d find ourselves in. He’d look the other way when we’d sleep in his shed. Used to call him the guard dog. 

Bright shook his head, fingers to his lips, “I don’t think so; he likes a statement.” Bright waved his hand in front of himself, “This is theatrical. He’d want a stage.” 

Marcus paused in thought, systematically sorting through the different options. Hesitantly, he offered another suggestion, “There was also a warehouse we’d crash in sometimes. It had a lot of different rooms in it, not just the main floor. There was one room with a massive vintage lighted sign that had fallen. We thought was pretty cool. We’d have to pass it to get to a part of the warehouse that was a bit warmer. That’s where we’d sleep.”

Bright paused his pacing, “What about the guardian part of the poem?” 

Marcus shook his head frustrated, “I’m not sure.” 

“Krysas used to tell Eric some decorative statues outside came to life and guarded them while they slept. He was scared of the dark.”

A new voice rang out causing everyone to startle. An older man stood leaning against the conference room doorway. Fedora hat angled slightly over his face, he wore expensive gray slacks with a purple silk dress shirt. Bright knew who he was immediately; the thick silver rings on each finger of his hands – much like Dani wore her thin gold ones – speaking volumes… As did the deadly stillness that had overtaken Marcus. 

The new comer stared down Bright, calm, collected, and completely in control. 

Gil stood quickly, holding at his abdomen, hatred marring his normally friendly face, “What are you doing here?” 

“Ensuring the protection of my equities,” He barely spared Gil a glance as he took in Bright, “Marcus, give the men the address.” 

Immediately, Marcus complied. The newcomer rose a single eyebrow over deep brown eyes as Bright simply nodded, “Well then, let’s go get Dani.” 

The man smiled, nodded his head in acknowledgement and turned to exit. JT quickly held out a hand to stop him, “Who the hell are you?” 

The smile he gave JT was full, a smile anyone would trust, “Ask your profiler friend. It’s quite likely he has several theories. Otherwise, speak to Lieutenant Arroyo.”

JT shook his head in frustration, turning to Gil, with his hand still outstretched blocking the way, “Gil?” 

Gil rocked a bit on his heels, “Let’s just go get Dani. Then we’ll talk.”

The man tipped his hat slightly to JT and walked out.


	10. Be the Chess Player, Not the Chess Piece

Bright’s mind raced a mile a minute. The appearance of the man in the hat was utterly unexpected. _There has to be a reason he’s here beyond ‘protecting his equities,’ whatever that means. And Gil knows him._ Gil’s tone had been more reminiscent of a hiss than anything else. 

_Focus on the immediacy. Get to Dani._

The sirens wailed as they approached the warehouse location. Bright was out and running the moment the car stopped, keeping pace with JT, as Gil lagged behind. SWAT was already on-site, inserting surveillance cameras through a vent. An ambulance waited around the corner in case it was needed. 

“Heat signatures of two bodies only. Both are prone and still,” the SWAT officer updated the team. “We’re gaining visibility to look for booby traps, then we go in. All windows are boarded so visibility will be minimal. Stay tight and together. Bodies are in the top right room.” 

Bright cringed at the term; the heat signatures meant either they were alive or only very recently dead. _Bodies. Please don’t let his pathology include a Romeo and Juliet fantasy._

When the all clear came, the door splintered and caved under the battering ram. SWAT moved to secure the location as Bright and the team rushed forward. 

The warehouse interior was shrouded in darkness. SWAT moved systematically, flashlights taking wide sweeps to confirm a clean passing into the next room as they made their way up to Dani. The slow progression was maddening.

_Finally._

Moving towards the right location, the team encountered the first closed door since entering. The SWAT Team Lead raised a closed fist, pausing their progress, and signaled for electronic evaluation of the door. 

The delay was too much. 

Bright began to elbow his way through when he felt an iron clad grip pulling him back. _JT._ Bright sorted through eight different combat tactics for getting out of the hold, but each would be loud and harm JT. 

Seconds later, the SWAT Lead gave the all clear sign and the battering ram made quick work of the door. 

The room was pitch black. Flashlights sweeping, the team scanned for Dani and the other person. 

Without warning, the old florescent bulbs of a broken-down sign turned on, blinding them. Laying on its side on the floor, the red lights spelled out ‘garage’ with a ring of white lights flashing in a blinking pattern. A red and white arrow flashed as well. 

The team stilled. Their eyes followed the direction of the arrow, pointing to another room shrouded in inky blackness. 

Bright stalked forward before JT could grab him, his body disappearing into the shadows. 

“Bright!” JT hissed. Undeterred, Bright moved forward shining his flashlight around. It only penetrated a few feet in front of him. 

“It’s fine,” Bright called out. “Keller likes games. He’s not going to set a trap and kill us unawares. He wants a challenge. He’d want us to know it’s coming.” 

“Great. Super,” JT muttered following. 

A clicking noise echoed; three blinding white lights came on, illuminating the other end of an expansive room. 

Dani lay on her side, draped across a table, in a white dress. Another woman, similarly dressed, was prone on a second table; her face turned towards the wall so it was hidden from view. The women were enclosed in a box of sorts. Three sides were glass, while the other was the normal warehouse wall.

Bright rushed forward, Dani’s statement echoing in his mind. _I never thought you were your father… it sounds like we are trying to head in the same direction…_ He began breathing again when he saw the rise and fall of her chest. 

Quickly, he walked around the glass box, hands trailing along the panes looking for some sort of indent; eyes scanning for a clue. The walls reached to the ceiling, creating a seal. Banging on the glass, he tried to wake up Dani as the others ran over. Neither she nor the other woman stirred. 

_Knocked out. This is a game._ Bright could see the tables were elongated and wider than the table that held Dani’s father, but they were in the same style. _That’s a thing._ The women were in white dresses… almost like they had stepped out of a Jane Austen book. _That’s a thing._

Bright did another semi-circle around the glass trying to see anything that may help him figure out the next step. Gil and JT each took a turn banging on the glass trying to wake Dani. 

“What now?” Gil and JT looked to Bright for answers.

Bright ran a hand through his hair, “No clue. Look around for another poem or something that would indicate a puzzle or riddle.” 

“This may help,” The man in the fedora strolled in, ignoring the guns leveled at him by the SWAT team. The man held up a small piece of paper, looking for all the world like he was joining a group of friends for coffee. Marcus rushed past and joined Bright at the glass box. 

Gil quickly motioned for SWAT to let the man pass, “What do you have?”

“A silly little note written by a very small man. There should be what’s called a 15 Puzzle somewhere… Ah, helpful Chasen, thank you.” A small light fixture, the kind used to illuminate art, flickered to life roughly 15 feet to the side of the box.

_He’s watching us._ Bright scanned for cameras but just saw darkness. 

The group walked over to the mounted puzzle on the warehouse wall. “This was one of the first puzzles I taught the children how to solve. There doesn’t seem to be any obvious adjustment or abnormality… just a normal 15 Puzzle.” The man inspected the puzzle carefully. Small ceramic tiles with the numbers 1-15 written on them were contained within a wooden frame. They were out of order, with an empty slot at the bottom where a tile could slide into. Bright recognized the puzzle from his time at school. 

The man continued speaking, “You have to move the tiles in such a way that the numbers end up in order. Does anyone else see anything unusual about the puzzle?” At everyone’s negative, the man started moving the tiles around. 

As the last tile slid into place, the men turned to gaze at the glass box. Everything remained the same. Bright chewed the inside of his cheek, “This should have done something. We won a puzzle. Did anyone see anything happen when the puzzle was complete? Search the room…”

Bright cut himself off when he heard a faint mechanical noise coming from the box. He rushed over in time to see a compartment on the elongated table holding Dani open. A small syringe appeared and with a small swoosh, a mechanical lever injected Dani with the substance. A collective breath was held before they saw Dani begin to stir. 

Groggily, Dani lifted her head, blinking owlishly. Running a shaking hand through her hair, she moved to sit up, lost her balance, and promptly fell hard onto the floor. Bright cringed in sympathy, knelt so he was more in her line of sight, and banged on the glass drawing her attention. 

She glanced over, propping herself up. Bright could tell it took her a second to focus. Her head cocked, “Bright?” 

Bright watched her mouth his name. _Soundproof._ He nodded and mouthed “Chasen” waving his arms a bit to indicate their surroundings. 

Dani’s eyebrows furrowed as she focused on JT coming up behind him. Bright watched as realization overtook her. She pawed at her dress confused, then irate. 

Dani stood, wobbly on her feet, and stumbled towards Bright. She fell slightly, catching herself on the glass while Bright fruitlessly but instinctually tried to catch her.

Shaking her head to clear it, Dani looked at Bright mouthing, “What’s going on?” 

“Chasen took you,” Bright over exaggerated his response hoping she would understand. Dani nodded. Bright could tell the moment she saw Marcus and the man walking up next to him. Her entire body stilled except her fingers, which reflexively curled on the glass. She leaned her body towards Bright, swallowing hard, before turning her head back to him. 

“What do we do?” Dani asked. Bright pointed behind her to the woman. 

Dani’s mouth dropped open and she stumbled quickly over to the other table. She turned towards Marcus and the man and mouthed a word Bright couldn’t pick up. 

Marcus swore and the man in the hat hurried as close to the second table as they could get. This was the first time Bright had seen the man flustered.

Marcus turned towards Bright, “It’s a friend of ours…Jess. Another from our group.” They watched as Dani checked Jess’ pulse. The relief on her face letting them know she was fine before Dani mouthed the words. “She was supposed to be out of town,” Marcus muttered. 

Bright scanned the room looking for another clue. No lights came on; no indicators of the next move. 

“Maybe we should shoot the glass?” JT offered.

The SWAT Team Lead nodded and stepped closer to the box, “My men can shoot at the far corner, away from the women, if you’d like, Sir.” He looked to Gil for direction. 

“NO!” Bright and the man shouted in tandem. They glanced at each other, and the man nodded to Bright, stepping back towards the glass and turning to look at Dani and Jess. Bright continued his explanation, “That would be cheating. Keller would have a plan for that. We need to find the next puzzle.” 

Gil’s eyes narrowed in annoyance, hands moving to his hips, “Ok, we play for now, but trying to shoot out the glass remains an option.” 

Bright nodded in acceptance and looked at the unknown man, “Any specific name we should call you?” 

“Alexandre will be fine.” 

“Well Alexandre, I may not have the details yet, but Chasen is your mess. What’s the next puzzle?” 

Alexandre smiled winningly, “I know why Dani likes you so much.” 

Bright remained unimpressed, “Next steps.” 

“If everyone would please remain still and be silent, we need to find something out of the ordinary. Chasen enjoys details…” When nothing jumped out at anyone, they all spread out looking into the neighboring rooms while Dani hovered protectively over Jess, watching. 

“Here! Got something!” JT called out in excitement from one room over. A single blinking cursor beckoned from an old computer set up in a darkened corner. 

The men watched as a sentence slowly wrote itself out:

> What walks on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three at night? 

“It’s the riddle of the Sphinx,” Bright quickly typed the answer:

> Man 

A second riddle soon appeared:

> You are standing before two doors. One of the paths leads to heaven and the other one leads to hell. There are two guardians, one by each door. You know one of them always tells the truth and the other always lies, but you don’t know who is the honest one and who is the liar.
> 
> You can only ask one question to one of them in order to find the way to heaven. What is the question? 

“This is another classic one,” Bright eyed Alexandre nervously. “What am I missing?”

Alexandre looked quietly concerned, “I’m not sure. These are too easy.” He nodded at Bright, “Type it in. Marcus stand in the doorway and watch Ella and Jess. Make sure they remain ok.” 

Bright typed in the answer:

> If I ask the other guard which side leads to heaven, what would he answer? 

A third riddle appeared:

> There is a house. One enters it blind and comes out seeing. What is it? 

Bright stilled, “This doesn’t make sense. These are classic riddles with well-known answers.”

Alexandre shook his head, “I agree. Something is off.” 

Bright hesitated. Not seeing another option, he typed his answer:

> schoolhouse 

As he pressed enter, his feeling of foreboding intensified. _We’re missing something…_

The next line appeared, stopping his heart:

> Why is a raven like a writing desk? 

“This is a trick question. There is no answer,” Bright stood up quickly.

“What do you mean?” Gil moved closer to Bright. 

Left hand trembling, Bright scanned the faces around him searchingly, “This is the riddle from Alice in Wonderland. The Mad Hatter asks Alice the question. There is no answer. The author admitted he wrote the riddle with no answer in mind. When enough people asked, Lewis Carroll made one up after the fact…” Bright licked his lips, “The reasoning he gave is shaky at best but is technically an answer. Except,” Bright gulped, “I don’t know it.” 

Instinctually, Bright looked at Alexandre, “Do you know it or could it actually be ‘no answer’?”

Alexandre looked increasingly concerned, “I’m not sure. In the story, the Mad Hatter destroys the White Rabbit’s watch… I don’t like the implications if we’re wrong.” 

Suddenly, a light flashed in Bright’s peripheral vision. Startled, he turned. 

JT had his iPhone out, “Bro, it’s called Google.”

“No! JT, that’s cheating!” Bright scrambled away from the desk and ran back towards the room where Dani was being held just as Marcus sounded the alarm. 

Marcus, Bright, and Dani stared in horror as a flap on the warehouse wall opened and water began pouring into the glass box.


	11. To Drown a Krysas

Gil had reached his limit, “Get the medics in here now. Sergeant,” Gil nodded to the SWAT leader, “shoot out the corner.” 

Dani moved farther away from the corner in question when she saw the SWAT Lead raise and aim his gun. Shots echoed in the warehouse. The glass wall remained intact. _Bulletproof._

Gil motioned for SWAT to try again. The SWAT Team Lead had all his men hone in on a single location and prepare to shoot. Bright ignored the ensuing attempts as he scanned the room frantically. 

Alexandre appeared beside him, “Chasen may want Ella to die in the water, given he almost drowned, but I think it’s more likely he wants to scare her – much like he was afraid.” 

Bright nodded distractedly, “I agree. There is a way to save her.” Bright paused, “A barter.” 

He turned towards Alexandre, his hands waving in excitement, “The last lines of the poem. Damned by Water, Saved by a Barter, Spyashchaya Krasavitsa. What do we have to barter?” 

Alexandre closed his eyes resigned, “You have nothing. I, on the other hand…” Alexandre rushed out of the room with Bright at his heels. Bright looked at Dani as he ran; she was ignoring the SWAT team and following Alexandre and him with her eyes. The water was at her knees.

Alexandre headed to the computer. Typing a series of numbers and letters, Bright instantly recognized it as a code of some kind. 

“I’m almost finished. Go help with whatever is about to happen.” 

Bright didn’t need a second prompting. Nothing mattered right now but Dani. Running back into the room, he went to the area closest to Dani and Jess, joining Marcus. 

“This isn’t going to work,” Marcus jutted his chin at the SWAT team trying to force their way through, “What are you and Alexandre doing?” 

“No time to explain, watch for a way to get them out or shut off the water.” Bright scanned Dani’s face. She was terrified, tears in her eyes, but none ran down her face. She kept a comforting and protective hand on the still sleeping Jess. The water hit her mid-thigh, soaking her floor length gown. 

Suddenly, a small section of the warehouse wall inside the box slid open. Bright could see the startled face of Alexandre still at the computer through the hole. 

“Dani!” Bright shouted, as he and Marcus ran into the next room and to the hole. Alexander and the others quickly joined. Bright immediately began trying to climb into the box. 

“Don’t! I’m coming to you.” Dani’s voice rang out clear and strong. She grabbed Jess’ torso trying to fling her over her shoulders. The awkwardness of the dress and the water made it impossible. Still, she was able to hoist the limp body high enough to be able to trudge through the still rising water. 

Bright began to climb in again to help, when an exasperated and breathless Dani reprimanded him, “I swear to God Bright, if you get in this box, I’ll drown you. Chasen be damned.” 

Marcus held him back, “We don’t know if you going in would be against the rules…what it may do.” 

Bright’s face contorted in frustration as he reached his arms through, beckoning Dani. The echoing sound of water was deafening. “Come on Dani; we’ve got you.” 

Close to the wall now, Dani began to maneuver Jess into their waiting hands. Swearing, Jess slipped out of her hold and into the water; the sedative ensuring the woman didn’t wake. Grabbing her quickly, Dani threw her whole body into it, raising Jess high enough that the men could grab a hold of Jess’ arms. They heaved, and Jess slid free. 

Bright and Marcus quickly dropped Jess into the waiting hands of the others and went to help Dani. A clicking noise penetrated Bright’s single mindedness. Grabbing Marcus, Bright pulled him back just in time.

The window slide shut with a deafening clang.

_No, no, no, no!_ The phrase echoed in Bright’s mind as the group ran back to where Dani remained, locked in her glass cage. 

The water was to Dani’s waist. She quickly waded over to the nearest table and climbed atop, staring at them in stark horror. Dani looked around for something – anything – she could be doing to help herself.

Glancing down at her dress, Dani quickly grabbed the seam at the side and attempted to tear it. She lifted the skirt to her teeth and tried again. A small tear emerged. She wiggled her pointer finger into the hole and began tearing in earnest. A ring of material fell from her legs, exposing her mid-thigh downwards. 

Bright cocked his head watching her. She shrugged at him and moved her arms in a swimming motion. It’d help her move more freely. Bright nodded. _Smart. Maybe she could use the cloth to form an air pocket?_ He dismissed the idea as he thought it. Then, his eyes lit up and he mimed an idea. 

Dani smiled widely once she understood. She grabbed the fabric, leapt to the next table, and tried to reach the hole. It was too far. 

Jumping into the water, Dani attempted to pull the table closer to the hole. It moved a small inch. Breathing heavily, she lifted her legs so they were planted against the glass wall. Using all of her strength, she pushed off. 

The table slid a foot. _Maybe far enough._ Bright watched as Dani climbed back on top and tried to plug the hole with the cloth from her dress. 

The water pressure wouldn’t allow for the fabric to remain in the hole by itself, but Dani held it there, slowing the downpour, buying them a little time. 

A spot light turned on, drawing their attention to a previously dark corner filled with junk. The men ran over. 

As the men shifted through the rubbage, JT got increasingly excited, “There’s enough here to make a focused explosive.” 

Everyone stared. “What?” Gil asked disbelievingly.

“No, he’s right,” Marcus joined in JT’s excitement. “The random chemicals, parts…this could be used as a fuse.” He held up what to Bright was an indiscriminate piece of junk. 

“Are you crazy? The shockwave could kill Dani!” Bright was already shaking his head no when he felt a hand on his elbow.

“The 15 Puzzle was me. Riddles that would be part of a classical education is you. This is them.” Alexandre motioned towards JT and Marcus, his eyes remaining focused on Bright, “That’s the connecting theme. Each test is in the lane of one of the people closest to Ella.”

Bright nodded begrudgingly, “Ok, let’s do this.” The men moved the supplies to the foot of the glass wall. 

JT sorted through, murmuring to Marcus, while Dani eyed them curiously.

Gil moved over to stand with Bright and Alexandre, “JT, what should Dani do to minimize the danger to herself?”

“Uh, see if you can get her to turn over the table and get behind it.” Gil, Bright, and Alexandre engaged in a series of charades, trying to get Dani to understand. It took precious moments, the water lapping at her feet on top of the table, but they were eventually able to get through. 

Dani jumped back in the water, letting the fabric drop, and tried to overturn the table. The water pressure and her inability to get leverage made it impossible. Bright was about to ask what next, when the stream of water stuttered then gushed at double the previous flow. Dani climbed back up on the table looking around frantically. The glass box was filling too fast.

“JT?” Gil placed a hand on the glass, “Any time now.”

JT and Marcus glanced up at the tone in Gil’s voice. Dani stood on the table, the water bringing her to her toes as she tried to keep her face above the water line. Finally, she had to begin kicking, throwing her hands out in a rudimentary breast stroke. 

“We’re almost there!” Marcus and JT both tried to focus on the task but couldn’t help risking frantic glances at Dani. 

Bright joined Gil, placing his hand on the glass. The water was almost to the top; Dani turned her head straight up, angling for the last inch of air when suddenly she began clawing at the ceiling tile in between strokes. Bright and Gil glanced at each other confused. 

Dani took a deep breath and submerged herself, wedging her back to the ceiling. She pushed off the glass with her legs as hard as she could. 

Bright’s lips unfurled in a smile as the tile sprang free and clattered onto the one next to it.

Gasping, Dani stuck her head in the small air vent that had been revealed, buying herself time. She kicked frantically, trying to remain above the water. 

“Done! Everyone back,” JT ordered. Gil grabbed Bright and forced him back with everyone else to the far end of the room. 

Blue eyes closed, praying for the first time in his adult life. 

The explosion echoed in melody with the shattering of glass and the roar of water. 

Bright took off, slipping as he ran, tracking Dani’s body as she crashed across the floor, taken by the force of the water.

Dropping to his knees and sliding the last foot, Bright grabbed at her, prepared to give CPR. She sputtered without intervention, wracking coughs trying to get water out her lungs. 

Bright flipped her over so gravity could help, holding her to his chest. Marcus dropped to his knees in front of him, eyes wide, bringing a hand to Dani’s hair. Bright held her tighter. He was vaguely aware of the paramedics rushing forward, of Gil and JT’s shouts, of Alexandre slipping out the back. But his focus was solely Dani, shaking and coughing in his arms. Bright looked up, meeting Marcus’ eyes. The men nodded to each other in understanding. 

One way or another, Chasen Keller was done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At first, I asked myself, “Is the box thing too crazy?” Then I re-watched Wait & Hope and thought…nope. 😊


	12. Revisiting

Bright hated hospitals. He hated the smell, the sounds, the harsh lighting. He’d been in so many the hatred had evolved to have a more distant quality, like he was peering under a microscope at a particularly nasty specimen. The hatred had roared to a more intimate, burning fire with Gil’s injury and that fire continued to be fed as he awaited news about Dani.

He knew she was fine. He’d kept pace with the gurney as the medics carried her to the ambulance, speaking to her the entire time. But hospitals meant coldness, and pain, and sedatives that trapped you in nightmares, and threats of psych holds, and so many other childhood fears… and Dani was alone in a room somewhere. _God, I hate this building._

Gil stood up quickly next to him, triggering his awareness, as a nurse called for a Lieutenant Arroyo. 

“Lieutenant Arroyo, you’re Detective Powell’s next of kin?” The nurse asked, surprising both JT and Bright.

Gil shook his head, “I’m her medical power of attorney and emergency contact.” 

The nurse nodded, “The doctor is ready for an update if you’ll come with me.” 

She ushered the men to a smaller side lobby. Bright ran a hand through his hair, “She was fine when we left her. Is there a reason we are getting an update here verses the lobby?” He scanned for every autonomic tell he could. All he saw was exhaustion. 

The nurse smiled kindly, “Not unusual when a crime is involved. Nothing to worry about.” She gestured towards the seats, “The doctor should be here any second.” 

Bright paced, fingers interlocked and gently bouncing against his lips, his head bowed. Gil waited patiently, eyes closed, while JT scrolled through his phone attempting to block out Bright.

After roughly five minutes, Bright stopped. A doctor was headed their way, a small, formal smile on his face. 

Walking in, he addressed the three men, “Both women are largely unhurt. We have started Detective Powell on a small dosage of antibiotics to help prevent any complications from the water she ingested. Likewise, both exams for sexual assault were negative.” 

“What?” All three men startled and glanced at each other frantically. 

The doctor raised his eyebrows, “We were informed that the kidnapper changed their clothes? Detective Powell requested it. We wanted to ensure no sexual assault occurred during that process. All exams were negative.” 

Bright’s stomach felt queasy and shame traveled up his spine. It never occurred to him the women would be worried about that. But…of course they would be. A killer changed their clothes…he imagined the feelings of intrusion and violation that would compound the trauma of the kidnapping itself. He glanced at Gil and JT, both had equally taken aback looks with a hint of self-recrimination. _At least I’m not the only idiot._

The doctor continued, “The nurses are grabbing scrubs for the ladies for when they are released.” 

“When will that be?” Gil interjected. 

“Later today. We are finishing up ruling out blast injuries for Detective Powell.” JT winced as the doctor continued, “Chest x-ray shows no lung damage from the blast. She has some tertiary blast injuries – minor- likely from the glass and hard landing as she fell. We believe the water pressure helped offset the blast pressure. That, along with the direction of the blast itself, means Detective Powell is extremely lucky. Her Tympanic Membrane - or eardrum - is intact and an ultrasound on her abdomen was clean. Lungs, ears, and abdomen are the most common immediate blast injuries. It’s a good sign they all came back negative.”

“Immediate?” 

“There can be some abdominal and pulmonary delayed effects. However, usually the eardrums are penetrated in those who later show symptoms. Detective Powell’s is fine. Like I said, that’s a very good sign. We are going to monitor her, particularly her oxygen levels, for the next 6-8 hours to be sure. The other woman, Ms. Smith, can be released immediately.”

The Doctor’s face grew a bit stern, “Now, I do have an issue.” All three men tensed, waiting for the other shoe to drop. “We kept Ms. Smith in a temporary bed as she was uninjured just sedated. However, Detective Powell and Ms. Smith keep trying to leave their designated areas to go find each other. It’s caused multiple annoyances for the nurses. You’re her boss?” 

Gil cleared his throat to cover the laugh, “Yes, I’ll talk with her. If you could have Ms. Smith brought into the room with Detective Powell for questioning purposes, that would be very helpful.” 

The doctor threw a suspicious look at the men diligently trying not to smile as he ushered them to Dani’s room. 

\--------------------------- 

Dani smiled tiredly as her team walked in.

“How are you feeling?” Gil moved to stand at Dani’s head while Bright and JT gathered around. 

“Honestly, pretty good for almost drowning, being in an explosion, and then thrown across a room,” She smiled a Gil. “Can’t really complain. They said everything is looking good, just need to make sure the,” Dani raised her eyebrows, “air pressure in my body is ok.” She shrugged, “Who knew?” 

Dani waited a moment, then looked each in the eye in turn, “Thank you guys for rescuing me.” 

Bright smiled and squeezed her arm, “Definitely no thank you necessary. Jess is being brought here so we can talk to her.”

Dani perked up at the news just as Gil’s mouth twitched and his hands settled on his hips, “What do I hear about you causing trouble for the nurses?”

Dani gave him her most innocent look and was about to reply when a nurse entered wheeling a smiling brunette woman. 

“Hey lady!” A cheerful voice rang out, Jess’ eyes honed in on Dani, taking in any signs of injuries, “Heard we had a whole adventure, and I slept through the entire thing.” 

Dani shook her head in mock judgement, “You’ve always been the lazy one.”

Jess’ smile widened as she turned her gaze at each of the men, “So this is the infamous team. It’s a real collision of worlds…”

Jess looked again at Dani, head cocking a bit, and smile tensing, “That could be fun?” At Dani’s level gaze, Jess raised her eyebrows, “Interesting?” Dani narrowed her eyes. Jess frowned, slightly amused, “Or not.” 

Bright moved to shake Jess’ hand, smiling at the exchange, “I would vote for interesting amongst other adjectives. It’s nice to meet you now that you’re awake.” 

Jess shook his hand and her eyes twinkled, “You must be Bright.” 

Taken aback, Bright nodded. Jess pointed to JT, “JT?” He nodded. Jess smiled and nodded at Gil, “It’s good to see you again Gil.” 

Gil smiled warmly, “It’s good to see you Jess, though I wish it were under different circumstances.” 

At that, Jess’ smile faltered, “I’m lucky.” She looked backed at Dani, “I hear you almost weren’t.” 

“Who briefed you?” JT asked.

Jess laughed lightly, “Briefed; how formal. No one –” 

“They’ve met Marcus,” Dani interjected. 

At that, Jess’ eyebrows rose to her hairline, “So it’s quite a collision.” Jess’ eyes darted over to Bright then back at Dani, “Intriguing.” 

Dani nodded, her mouth pursing. Bright watched attentively as a silent conversation passed between Jess and Dani in only a few moments. It seemed to end with Jess nodding in agreement.

“Ok,” Jess said matter-of-factly, “What do you want to know?” 

“Marcus told us you were supposed to be out of town?” Bright asked jumping in. 

“Yeah, I’m supposed to be at a conference right now in upstate New York. I remember arriving and checking into the hotel, then waking up here.” 

“You know Dani, Marcus, and Chasen from when you were kids?”

Jess nodded, eyebrows furrowing a little, “Yeah, I’m sure Dani mentioned.” 

“So, you know Alexandre?” 

Jess’ face went blank as she whipped her head to look at Dani. He analyzed her tells. _Fear. Concern…concern for Dani, not herself?_

“Bright, don’t. I’ll explain later,” Dani stared at her partner. “I don’t want Jess to have given out any information. I can do that.” 

Bright rocked back a bit thoughtfully at the implications of Dani’s statement and simply nodded. 

Jess, however, showed the first signs of temper, “Like hell! Dani –” 

“You call her Dani?” Bright interrupted, trying to move off the topic of Alexandre. The look on Jess’ face told him he was unsuccessful. 

“Yes.” She cut back to Dani, “You and Gil both know I’m not a part of anything.” 

“Now,” Gil countered gently. Gil smiled comfortingly at Jess, “It’s ok Jess. Dani is just being a cop. We don’t let civilians –”

“No, she’s shutting me out so she takes all the risk. She’s done it since we were kids. Being a cop is just a great excuse now,” Jess exhaled through her nose, “Nope. Not going to happen.” 

Dani opened her mouth to speak, annoyed, when Jess cut her off again, “Ask your profiler if I’m reading this wrong.” 

Bright kept his mouth shut, eyes darting between the two women. 

Both women narrowed their eyes at each other and remained silent for several tense minutes. “You won the last big argument. My turn,” Jess said as though that settled it. Bright’s mouth dropped open slightly as Dani nodded, resigned, and sat back further in her bed. 

Jess smiled brightly and turned back to Gil, “Gil, you were saying?” 

Gil shook his head, looking down to hide his grin, “That’s its great to see you again.” 

“How do you and Gil know each other so well?” JT asked. 

Jess looked at Dani questioningly. “You can tell them,” Dani smiled softly. 

Jess turned to look more at Bright and JT, “Dani, Eric, and I are pretty much the law-abiding portions of our old friends.” Jess shrugged, “The three of us are all we have now. When Dani went to rehab, I kept Eric up to date and - -“

“She came to visit Dani almost every day,” Gil interjected, the smile widening, “We were the only two on the visitor’s roster so we ended up hanging out quite a bit.” 

Bright felt a sense of sadness war with a growing affection as he looked at Jess. His head cocked slightly, “You’re fairly intuitive. Tell me about Chasen in your own words.” 

A quick flicker of pleasure passed over Jess’ face before it fell, sad, “Chasen is very confused.” She shook her head, “I know this sounds crazy, but he isn’t evil. He’s…” 

“Broken,” Bright supplied. 

Jess nodded, “Dani’s probably told you how we grew up. Whatever was off inside him was just constantly fed. For us,” Jess nodded in Dani’s direction, “we had people step in and offer different paths. I’m not sure he did… or at least, if they were offered, he couldn’t recognize them.” 

Bright clasped his hands together. Hesitantly, he looked to Dani, “I really need to understand how Alexandre plays into this. I get Chasen’s obsession with you.” Both Jess and JT raised their eyebrows. Bright continued as if he didn’t see them, “If we are going to stop him, outside of using you as bait, which is off the table,” He added quickly when Dani opened her mouth, “then we need to catch him in the act. I saw Alexandre send him a code. He’s not just in New York City because of you. He’s here for something else as well.” 

This time, Gil took over, “Alexandre Kuznetsov is suspected of over 20 various forms of frauds, money laundering, and other primarily white-collar crimes. He was an associate of Dani’s mother.”

JT’s eyebrows reached his hairline, “That’s the kind of associates your mom had?” 

Dani shook her head, “No. Alexandre is the exception… And it’s largely my fault.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Some) Answers coming next chapter! ;)


	13. Planting Seeds for a Future Harvest

Dani shifted in bed, trying to get comfortable, “My mom is actually Ruska Roma, so she had ties to several different communities within New York. She probably has some sort of issue you could diagnosis for me Bright, but in essence, sometimes she had her act together and could pull off some pretty good – albeit criminal - jobs. Cons mostly. Most other times though, she couldn’t navigate the basics of life let alone motherhood.”

Dani looked apologetically at Bright and JT, “I’m probably not saying anything you don’t already know from the Academy and everything, but it’s important to make this distinction to understand Alexandre. Not all elements of the Russian mafia are part of a formal criminal gang. There are independent facilitators, usually highly specialized and well respected. They work across networks for individual jobs. That’s what Alexandre does.” 

“Money laundering,” Bright interjected. 

Dani wobbled her head in a kind-of motion, “Yes and no. He’s considered a master money launderer. But he also specializes in high-end cons, like art, intellectual property, things like that. Harder to move on the black market and requires more specialized education to understand its worth.” 

“My mom pulled off a particularly good job once. She was trying to fence some rare books. Alexandre ended up taking a meeting. I followed my mom.” A flush of embarrassment tinted her cheeks, and she avoided looking at either Bright or JT, “I was going to try and take some of the money before she could spend it. We were pretty behind on rent.” 

She cleared her throat and continued on, “I noticed he was playing her, and it would have cost us a large portion of the take. So, I stepped out from where I was hiding and called him on it.” She shook her head ruefully, “Stupid. Most people would have gotten violent; Alexandre just smiled, nodded, and called me a worthy opponent.”

“It was the first time an adult paid positive attention to you.” Bright took her in. _Guilt; shame._

Dani’s eye’s flew to Bright’s. Old hurts illuminating her eyes, “Yes. He kept showing up after that. Others considered my mom a low-time con who could occasionally pull off a good job. Given how much she swung in terms of sanity, she wasn’t worth the risk. Alexandre got good at judging where my mom’s health was at and used her accordingly… I mean she did have skills like I said… but…”

“It was you he usually sought out, not your mom,” Bright’s heart plummeted, his brain filling in the gaps before Dani could speak. Empathy pulsed through his veins. 

“And, like an idiot, I made a point to talk to him whenever I saw him. To show him how smart I was… and, he always complimented me, gave me games, puzzles to solve, started teaching me to read…” She closed her eyes and laughed a deeply self-recriminating laugh, “I introduced him to… everyone… including Chasen.” She smiled sarcastically; her eyes still closed. “So stupid. He was playing us.” 

“No,” Bright said softly, “He was grooming you. You were a kid. It’s anything but stupid.” Blues eyes willed her to look at him. Dani kept her eyes closed, face tensing. Bright walked over to her bed and gently clasped her wrist, thumb brushing over the top of her hand, “Happens to the best of us.” 

That got the response he wanted. Dani immediately opened her eyes, looking into his. A pregnant pause filled the room, “Well, as long as I’m in good company.” They smiled slightly at each other.

An awkward throat clearing broke the moment. JT shifted on his feet, trying to bring the conversation back to the current day, “Big question. How the hell have we or the FBI not arrested Alexandre yet?” 

Dani and Gil gave each other furtive looks. Gil jumped in, “That part shouldn’t be discussed in front of Jess.” Trying to move the conversation along, Gil clasped his hands together, rubbing them, “We need to get to work. Jess, we’re happy to set you up in a safe house.” 

Jess was staring at the scene in front of her silently, a small, discerning smile on her face, “No thank you. I’ll have Marcus take me to Eric. He and I can hold down the fort while everyone else plays hero.” 

Gil nodded reluctantly, “We can’t force you. Bright, write down everything you can remember about the code. JT, work with Peter to figure out what it means. Play the white-collar angle first.” 

JT nodded, then suddenly turned to look at Dani, body relaxing as he answered his own question, one that had been bothering him, “That’s why you’re ok with Marcus having Eric at a safe house instead with us. It puts him under Alexandre’s protection and makes it even more difficult for Keller.” He looked at Gil, “And why you’re ok with it.” 

Dani nodded, “Police provide physical protection. Alexandre can provide that, but it’s a far bigger deal to actually go after someone under his direct protection. No one would ever work with Chasen again. They’d be too scared of the business impacts.” Dani shrugged, “And Eric knows nothing that would make him a liability, which Alexandre understands. Eric’s comfortable with Marcus and has been in the safe house before. He doesn’t do new environments easily.” 

Bright looked intently at Dani, “There are still too many gaps. I have several questions. How old was Alexandre when you met him?” 

Dani did a little half shrug, “I’m not sure. I was little; he was sort of just classified as ‘adult’ in my mind. But probably mid-20s.”

“How old were you?” 

“6 or 7.”

“So, he was your primary adult influence for roughly two and half, three years before your father showed up.” 

“Yes.”

Bright crossed his arms, cupping his chin he tapped his index finger against his mouth thoughtfully, “He plays chess.” 

“Loves it.” 

“He traveled internationally when you were a child.”

“Yes.” 

“When he came back to New York, he’d have new puzzles for you all to try from whatever country he had been in.” 

“Yep.”

Jess leaned towards JT and whispered loudly, “These don’t sound like questions.”

Bright chuckled a little self-consciously, “Sorry.” Jess just winked at him. 

Bright smiled a bit, “You were being groomed for a purpose. When did Alexandre have you start committing crimes on his behalf?” 

Dani sighed, “We were already small-time thieves: shop lifting, pick pocketing, stuff like that. It’s how we got a lot of our food and things. I think I stole my first wallet when I was like five.” Dani’s eyes darted to Bright and JT. Seeing no judgement, she continued on, “Alexandre started showing us how to turn a profit verses just survive. We learned fast. Really fast. Once we were good at that, he started graduating us up. Showing us how to bypass simple alarms, run small cons, that sort of stuff. We just started to do more complex jobs when my dad showed up.” 

Jess shook her head, wanting to clarify a point, “I was horrible at it all. I’m a terrible liar, and I kept feeling guilty. Alexandre gave up on me pretty fast, except,” Jess looked at Gil, “I was good at conversations, getting along with people, getting them to trust me. He started talking to me about the art of negotiations, bringing me to different meetings with other fences, dealers, people like that.”

Bright cocked his head thoughtfully. _Why would he expose the identity of external contacts to a child? She’d be a liability to them._ Before he could ask the question forming in his mind, Jess looked hesitantly at Dani again, “But a job went bad and I think he started to question things.” 

“It’s my fault the job went bad. I made a call no one liked—" Jess threw her arm’s wide at Dani’s statement in a clear what-are-you-talking-about motion, causing Dani to qualify, “Well, Jess was thrilled, but everyone else was pissed.” 

Jess shook her head, “Chasen wasn’t. You were busy fending off an irate Alexandre, Marcus, and Michael. You didn’t see.”

Every muscle in Bright’s body tensed and tingled. _This is it._ “What didn’t Dani see Jess?” 

Jess paused, choosing her words carefully, “You have to know what happened to get it. Alexandre had us run a small con on a professor at a university. Not really sure why, but we were supposed to get in and out with some materials. Dani was supposed to lead the break in, Michael and Marcus ran perimeter, and Chasen took care of the security system.” 

Jess nodded towards Dani, “Everything went perfectly. Then, all the sudden, we heard an alarm from an area that wasn’t supposed to be touched. Chasen hadn’t disconnected it because there was no reason for it to go off.” She gave Dani an exasperated look, “At least, we hadn’t thought there was. The next thing we know, Dani is running towards us, a huge sack over her shoulder – also not part of the plan – doing this weird galloping run. So, we all go to the meet up –” 

“Where were you?” Bright interrupted.

“With Alexandre a couple buildings away observing.”

“What was Alexandre’s reaction so far?” 

Jess thought a moment, “He was annoyed and alarmed when the security system went off. Confused too. Like I said, there was no reason – if Dani stuck to the plan – for that alarm to go off. When we saw Dani running strangely, I think he was legitimately worried. It looked like she was hurt.” 

Jess began to smile, spreading her hands out, palms up, hoping they’d imagine it for themselves, “Instead, Dani gets to the rendezvous point, all upset, practically crying –” 

“I was not practically crying.” 

“You so were. Dani looked at us, eyes wide, goes ‘they were going to hurt them!’, and then throws open her bag. She had shoved four rabbits from the lab into it and had been trying not to jostle them when running,” Jess burst out laughing, causing the men to look at each other unsure.

Bright shook his head confused, “Ok, so you were supposed to leave with something Alexandre wanted and came out with rabbits instead?” 

Dani took over, “Alexandre wanted a thumb drive from the desk of a professor. Should have been a simple break in. I think it was more of a training exercise than anything else. I got to the office and it was actually a lab. The professor had four rabbits in a cage, and there were pictures and diagrams of previous dissections on his desk.” Dani shrugged, “I figured that was going to be their fate, so I took a big bag from one of the cabinets and grabbed them.” 

“Where did the alarm come from?” 

Dani looked at Bright, his gaze was boring into hers, “The cage. I opened the cage and an alarm went off. I wasn’t expecting the cage itself to be alarmed. I had to run before I could grab the thumb drive.”

Bright turned quickly to Jess, “How did Alexandre react to the rabbits?” 

“Um, well, he was angry when Dani didn’t have the thumb drive but,” she looked at Dani to confirm her memory was correct, “he calmed down fairly quickly when you said where you got them right?”

Dani nodded, her eyes never leaving Bright as he began to pace. 

Jess continued hesitantly, eyeing Bright, “Chasen was annoyed at first. But then Dani defended herself, talking about how saving the bunnies was more important than a thumb drive. He just…watched her as she argued for the rabbits… like…like he had never seen someone like her before. Eventually, Dani’s argument got Michael and Marcus to calm down about the whole thing. I had agreed from out the outset. Chasen called her Bunny after that. Dani wasn’t thrilled, but none of us could get him to stop. I’d see him just staring at her sometimes when she wasn’t looking.”

Bright smiled widely, “I think this is it!” He turned to Gil, eyes shining, “We need to confirm the finger sent to Marcus last time came from the same university Dani tried to rob all those years ago.” Bright continued pacing, “My guess is the code is related as well; we need to see which professor is missing.”

“Bright, slow down and catch us up,” Gil commanded, putting his hands on Bright’s shoulders to stop him moving. 

Bright took a deep breath, trying to slow his racing mind so he could bring the others with him. “Everything Chasen has been doing, since the last time he was stalking Dani to today, is laden with connecting threads. Chasen’s actions weave together to one giant puzzle.” Bright let a half smile grace his face, “It’s actually quite brilliant.” 

“And you solved the puzzle?” At Bright’s excited nodding, Gil asked exasperatedly, “Care to let us in on it, kid?” 

“The lab wasn’t a training exercise. The thumb drive was valuable. Probably something in the world of biology given the rabbits and the fact he saw them ultimately as a gain.” Bright turned to Dani, “The rabbits disappeared quickly after you rescued them, right?”

Dani nodded, “Yeah, we took them back to an apartment Alexandre used occasionally and where Eric stayed while we trained. We spent the evening playing with them and the next day Alexandre said he found a safer home for them.” 

Bright looked apologetically at Dani, “Alexandre likely sold the rabbits on the black market since he didn’t have the formal research. The dissection probably occurred regardless.” 

Her face scrunched, “I can’t believe we fell for the ‘farm upstate’ trick.” 

Clasping his hands behind his back, Bright began pacing again, “In terms of timeline, my guess is your father received the anonymous tip shortly after this incident.” 

Dani paused, thinking it through, “Yes, that’s about right.” 

Bright nodded, “This was an audition not a training exercise. Chasen passed; you failed. Chasen didn’t disappear or run away from foster care. Alexandre took him. Separated him from you all so the only influence was himself. Chasen wouldn’t have left you otherwise.” He nodded towards Dani, “When you chose the life of an innocent over material goods, Chasen’s obsession with you was cemented.” 

Dani eyebrows furrowed, “I didn’t know I was choosing anything.” 

Affection swam in Bright’s eyes, “Doesn’t matter. You still chose. Alexandre saw it too. In the end, you chose the rabbits over pleasing the only parental figure you had. Alexandre knew at that moment he couldn’t control you. Not really. He saw you sway the others to your line of thinking – your values. He needed your influence on them to diminish.” 

An inexplicable sadness flooded Dani, disconcerting her. _I shouldn’t care._ She quickly tried to move past it, “Why didn’t he make Michael and Marcus disappear? What does this have to do with today?” 

“He didn’t have to. Chasen was disturbed but too brilliant to let go. Alexandre needed to try and control his development in a more focused way. Marcus and Michael were likely far easier to manage and manipulate. Even with your father’s influence. I’m not totally certain of the details; however, my hypothesis is Chasen discovered Alexandre’s real plans for the university job at some point and is trying to complete it. The university is where he discovered his ‘love’ for you, it’s where Alexandre ‘chose’ him as valuable, and how – very likely – he intends to show his triumph over everyone as his own man.” 

Bright laughed in partial wonder at Chasen’s brain, “This is all a coming of age story told through a demented mind. Even the progression of the puzzles from earlier today: the first was a puzzle from when he was a child, the riddles he gave me are usually part of a school curriculum, and then an explosive – something an adult would wield.” 

JT turned to Jess as Bright laughed to himself, “You get used to it.” He looked back at Bright, “Why would Alexandre use kids though?” 

Dani interjected shrugging, “We almost never got in trouble the few times we were caught. We’d start crying, give some cover story, like we were lost and looking for our mom. People would just let us go; we were so young.” 

Bright both agreed and disagreed, “In terms of the university job specifically… I’m not sure. Something about the job made him feel more comfortable sending you all in. However, if the materials are this valuable… I’m with JT. Why send in kids you’re still training?” 

Bright looked at JT, “Why would Alexandre take on children in general, though? Kids are far more capable then we give them credit for. Research has shown children living on the streets can start to fend for themselves in complex ways as early as five years old. It’s incredibly dangerous and detrimental to said child, but the abilities of very young children to figure out how to survive are well documented.”

“My profile is still preliminary. However, even in his early 20s, Alexandre was already making a name for himself; he had an international footprint, extensive external contacts, and felt confident enough in his own abilities that the unique risks children would pose didn’t concern him. He believed his business operations were set to expand over time.” Bright tilted his head, ceding the point to the invisible Alexandre in his head. “By finding kids, he could ‘grow’ his own partners - ones he would be able to have complete control over.” 

Bright voice took on a distant tone as he thought it through, connecting the threads of Alexandre’s psychology in his mind, “He’s a strategist – engages in long-term thinking. It fits with the games, puzzles, training you over time, chess… As a narcissist, Alexandre would also desire a way to cement his legacy. Children he could mold in his own image would fit that requirement. They would need to be smart, worthy of his attention. Children who would be loyal to him…” 

Bright moved to stand at Dani’s side, “He tested whether you had the mind for his line of work through the puzzles and games. But he also needed to know if you had the heart for it. That’s a different question. You don’t.”

Bright held up a hand cautioning, “There are still holes in my profiles for both Chasen and Alexandre. Alexandre is showing incredible impulse control. That’s unusual for sociopaths. He’d have to be a very high functioning sociopath for this profile to fit.”

Bright turned to Gil, “As for Chasen, like I said, I believe the job he’s planning is to steal the original research. Marcus said he received a finger from a ‘random university cadaver’ during the last stalking episode. I don’t believe it was random. My guess, it’s from the same university they attempted to rob as kids. It’s likely the blood circling the figure of Dani’s father will also somehow be related to the university. Chasen is trying to get to whatever was on that thumb drive before Alexandre gets to it. It must still be fairly valuable on the black market.” 

“Chasen may not be able to attack Alexandre directly but he can show he’s smarter. Coming of age with a classic apprentice becoming the master overtone. He’s the hero of his story…and he’s going to try and get the girl.” Bright’s face rippled from excitement at the profile to apprehension.

“Well, that’s not going to happen. JT, add the university angle when looking into the code. Likely the university and the research itself received some form of federal funds. Use the FBI to strong arm them. Dani, you’re going to a safe house. Don’t even start with me,” Gil added when he saw Dani open her mouth to speak. 

Dani nodded, trying to placate Gil, “I know. I just want to propose which safe house. Let me head with Jess and Marcus to the safe house where Eric is.” Dani hurried to continue before Gil could cut her off, “And I want to take Bright with me.”

Everyone paused. 

“Dani, Marcus won’t let Bright come…” Jess started.

Dani bit her lip, “I can convince him.” She looked at Bright, “I get if you’d rather not. But I bet you ten to one, if you and I show up together, Alexandre will show up at the safe house as well. You all may not want to use me as bait for Chasen, but having that contact with Alexandre will be helpful.” 

“Invaluable. Like I said, there are still gaps in my profile.” Bright hesitated, glancing at Jess, “Dani, with Jess and Eric there though –"

Dani shook her head, “I would never put them in danger. Alexandre isn’t going to hurt us. Trust me. He’ll know the second we show up why you’re there. We aren’t talking about anything in front of Jess he won’t deduce immediately.” A resolved smile spread across her face, her eyes shifting to a darker shade, “He just won’t be able to resist a battle of wits with you.”

Bright began to smile, “You’re sure you’re ok with this?” 

At Dani’s nod, Gil interrupted, “Excuse me. I still haven’t agreed.”

Before Gil could continue, Bright’s phone rang. He glanced down at the number; Ainsley’s hospital. 

Bright excused himself as Gil, Dani, and JT debated the merits of the plan, with Jess occasionally trying to jump in to back Dani up. 

“Hello?” 

“Mr. Bright? This is Cara.” 

A feeling of dread spread in Bright’s chest at the name of Ainsley’s primary care coordinator. “Hi Cara, is everything ok with my sister?” 

“Yes, she’s fine. Um, I wanted to touch base because a package was delivered here for you?” 

Bright stilled, “A package?” 

“Yes, it’s a large package. The address says it’s for you, but a courier dropped it off here.” The woman’s voice held a question, waiting for Bright to respond. When he hesitated, she continued helpfully, “The return address has an Alice in Wonderland logo on it and says it’s from the White Rabbit Company. Is this something for your sister and they just put the wrong name on it?” 

Bright felt the blood drain from his face, “No, it’s for me. I’ll be right there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story has two large inspirations. First, was a comment in an interview which said (paraphrasing) that a romantic relationship between Malcolm and Dani may be too much given all the story already trying to be told by PS. I would disagree, but I do see their point. The writers would need to make space for Dani to be her own full fledge character. I think they are, and I think if anyone could pull it off its these writers. This is my own humble attempt at creating space for a complex Dani story within the crazy that is Malcolm’s life. 
> 
> Second inspiration, reading human rights research on child trafficking – particularly the use of street children to commit crimes by organized crime. It’s a whole thing and it’s heart breaking.


	14. When You Take Second Chances

Top-Secret security clearances don’t allow for stays in psychiatric hospitals. Malcolm surveyed the building as Adolpho pulled up. He had been able to avoid being committed as a child, often times just narrowly. If he had, it would have added another layer of difficulty to getting into the FBI. Every agent had to receive and maintain a Top-Secret clearance, and the stigmas associated with therapy, medicines, and hospital stays were still very real. With the FBI increasingly recruiting combat veterans, the old presumptions around PTSD were slowly changing. However, old prejudices around mental health were still a heavy burden and, added to the weight of Dr. Whitly, it could be a crushing combination. 

Chasen knew where Ainsley was, and under what pseudonym. Her life would change forever if he released the news. Her life was already changed… but at least they had been able to navigate some semblance of privacy for her - space to hopefully heal. Something he had never experienced. 

_She’s probably not in physical danger. My family isn’t likely part of his pathology…Is it because I’m interacting with his family of sorts?_ Malcolm’s left hand trembled as he approached the front desk, asking for Cara. It wasn’t formal visiting hours, but this wasn’t a formal visit. 

_Blackmail seems unlikely…_ Still, given the connection to Ainsley, Malcolm had kept news of the package to himself. He didn’t want to open it around any police presence in case there was something incriminating within it. He wasn’t sure what that could be, but he wasn’t taking any chances. _Gil’s going to be very annoyed._

Cara waved slightly from afar, joining him in the lobby. Malcolm felt his shoulders loosen slightly at Cara’s easy going demeaner. _Nothing’s happened so far. Don’t raise suspicions._ He stretched his lips into the smile that got him through many of his Mother’s charity events, reaching to shake her hand. 

Cara smiled easily back, “Thanks so much for swinging by to grab the package. We would have been happy to hold it until next time.” 

Malcolm shook his head good naturedly, “Oh, it’s no problem. It was probably a large box and it was sent here on accident.” 

Cara tilted her head a bit in question, “I was curious about that. I know it’s important your sister’s privacy is maintained. The recipient was listed as you but in the care of Elizabeth Stanley.” 

Malcolm immediately saw Cara’s concern. He and his mother always signed any paperwork using the Stanley last name - the protective cover the police had provided. Bright rolled his eyes, and shook his head a bit disappointingly, “I’m sorry again. My mother actually bought it, and I think there was a mix up when she dictated the information to her assistant. I’m happy to get it off your hands, and I’ll talk to her assistant to make sure it’s streamlined in the future.” 

“I hope I didn’t get her assistant in trouble?” Cara asked as she ushered Malcolm to the mail room. 

“Oh no, he’s new. I’ll just clarify it for him,” He reassured her. 

“Ok, here you go. I’ve got to head out to lead a group session. You know your way out?” 

“Absolutely. Don’t worry about me.” Malcolm nodded his goodbye and leaned over to examine the package.

There was nothing special about the box. Comprised of plain cardboard, it had a nondescript white label. Malcolm paused slightly at the White Rabbit Company’s return address. Dani’s apartment. Pulling out his pocket knife, he methodically opened the package. A large, wooden box emerged.

Comprised of lighter wood and rimmed with a darker wood, the craftsmanship was evident. However, no visible mechanism for opening the box was apparent. _A puzzle box._ Malcolm skimmed his hands along the sides, trying to feel for anything unusual. A small part of the side moved slightly when Malcolm pushed against it. He pushed slightly harder and small drawer sprung open on the opposite end. Pulling the drawer out, he noted a small key inside that had a magnet at one end. He ran the key along the edges of the box, hoping to find a magnetic area to mark the next step. Nothing. 

Undaunted, Malcolm examined the open drawer. It had a small groove on its underside. Malcolm lay down on the floor to see inside the hole left by its removal. He saw a small bulge of wood that looked like it may fit the groove. Malcolm reinserted the drawer, this time upside down. A welcomed click sounded, signaling the action had some positive impact.

He felt around the box again, looking for any new element. Sure enough, a new part of the wood slid inwards now as he pushed. Much like the first time, a second drawer began being pushed out. After pulling it out, he ran the magnetic key over the box again. Nothing.

_This would be fun if I didn’t want to knock the guy out._ Malcolm appreciated puzzles. He appreciated intelligence whenever he saw it. That usually got him looks when applied to criminals, but he couldn’t help it. Under other circumstances, he knew he would be enjoying Chasen’s challenges. In fact, he owned several puzzle boxes himself. The cabinet where he kept his files on his father had multiple false bottoms, hidden compartments, and tricks to keep people at bay. But Chasen had almost killed Dani and was now bringing Ainsley into this. This was different. This was personal. 

Malcolm lifted the box up again, examining the bottom. As he rotated it, a second click occurred. Turning the box right side up again, he ran his hands over the wood, pushing when he felt a section on the side give. A third drawer slowly popped out. Malcolm gently grabbed the drawer and pulled it out completely. When he did, he heard another click. Running his hands over the box, he realized the top corner was now slightly loose. He pushed it and it swung outward revealing a small keyhole. 

Malcolm felt the excitement building as he inserted the key. When he did, the entire top of the box shifted. Keeping the key inside the hole, Malcolm used it as a lever to rotate the top portion of the wood clockwise. A series of clicking noises filled the air. When Malcolm again felt resistance, he pulled up on the key, using it like a handle. Sure enough, the top of the box opened like a lid. 

Malcolm could now see the box in all its creativity. It was a box within a box. By pulling drawers out in sequence and turning the lid, a series of interior magnetic locks had opened. In the center, there was a small cavity holding a photo album and a cell phone. Carefully lifting them out, he opened the album. 

Feeling his heart stop, he flipped through it. Pages and pages of candid photos taken from a distance filled the book. All were of him and Dani. Getting coffee, walking to a crime scene, talking to a witness in a park… He tried to calculate how long this could have been happening from details within the pictures. _Roughly 6 months give or take. He’s been watching her that long?_

Shaking his head to clear it, Malcolm took a deep breath. _Slow down. Why these photos?_ He moved back to the first page and slowly made his way through, trying to observe details and connect the threads.

_Each picture is of us; we’re an obvious pattern. The pictures osculate between actively working a case and hanging out at the precinct._ His eyes lingered on one. He was reaching to press the elevator button, his other hand gently touching Dani’s arm as he tried to make a point in whatever conversation they were having. She was holding coffee, staring intently at him, the side of her mouth quirked up. _That’s the look she gives me when she’s about to note something I’ve missed._ He smiled slightly. 

Turning the page, he scanned the pictures. One was taken through the window of the precinct. He was gesturing wildly, likely pacing, talking through some sort of profile. Dani was sitting on the opposite side of the room watching. Malcolm paused. _Smiling affectionately._ He was certain. _That’s affection._

His left hand trembled slightly. Closing his eyes for a moment, Malcolm turned the page. They were walking through a busy intersection. He had instinctually put his hand on Dani’s back, bringing them a little closer as they navigated the crowd. His head was bent towards her listening. Dani was smiling as she spoke, hair blowing behind her, eyes alight. She walked angled slightly towards him. 

Malcolm kept going, a sense of surrealness starting to permeate the air. Scene after scene of them interacting. Suddenly, he realized he could tell the times when he had been with Eve. In most of the pictures he was near Dani, relaxed or excited, but always with an air of comfortability. Abruptly, the pictures would go formal, his posture erect and stiff. _Distant. I know we weren’t talking as much, but I didn’t know I was doing that…_

Malcolm shook his head, pausing to sort through his thoughts and emotions so he could continue with a more objective mind set. It wasn’t that he regretted his actions. He was dating another woman. Being more formal with… and that was where Malcolm felt himself hesitate.

There was no reason to be more formal with a colleague if he had been acting professional. _She’s a friend._ He felt himself shift with dissatisfaction. _Dani’s a friend and a colleague. But then… if we’re acting like friends and colleagues, I wouldn’t have needed to change. Right?_

Confused, Malcolm kept going when a second connecting thread popped out at him. In many of the photos, he was touching Dani in some way. He slowly made his way through the rest of the album. He was usually touching her arm: to get her attention, to navigate a crowd, to punctuate a conversation point. He tilted his head. _I had no idea I was doing that._

A small worry niggled at him; he went back and scanned only the pictures where he was touching her, looking specifically for her reactions. _She doesn’t seem annoyed or uncomfortable…_

A wave of terror and hope pulsed through his body. _She has a smile._ A tiny smile, consistently soft, graced her face when he was touching her. He did another scan, moving faster. The smile only existed in photos where he was touching her. Not all of them… but many… the smile wasn’t in any of the photos where they weren’t touching. He checked again; the smile only appeared directed at him. _It’s a smile for me. A me smile._ Malcolm’s breathing started to grow shaky. 

He flipped back to the last time he had been with Eve, wanting to know if there were any pictures of him and Dani touching, as well as the smile. _That could be why I instinctively pulled back._ He liked the idea that there was some poorly executed but ultimately benign reason for his behavior change. _I haven’t been in many relationships. I just didn’t know the right boundaries, that’s all._

He thought back to what he had said to Dani in the bathroom. _I don’t quite know what to do with you._ It had been deeply true; despite his best efforts, he didn’t have a compartment for her. She defied categorization. 

He paused at a photo from when the team was actively looking for Sophie, examining the area around the cabin for bodies. He could see the photos on white board. He, JT, and Gill were huddled together, talking. Dani was watching them, a look of clear annoyance on her face. The next image looked like the same meeting. He was walking out of the conference room with JT. Dani was gathering papers, head bent, but her posture indicated… _sadness._

Malcolm wracked his brain trying to remember the meeting. He couldn’t. Nothing about that time stood out to him in terms of Dani. He’d been focused on other things: his father, Sophie, Eve… 

With a little sense of dread, Malcolm turned the page, then another. The same dynamic starting to emerge. Dani across the room from him, speaking. He was bringing is hand up like he was about to cut her off. In another, she looked startled. He paused trying to remember why. Vague memories of him suggesting that he and JT go interview witnesses together surfaced. Bright closed his eyes trying to remember more. Dani had been stuck going through cold case files in the evidence room by herself for several days after. _Was that my idea or Gil’s?_ He didn’t remember, but a sinking feeling started grow in the pit of his stomach. The excitement of discovering the smile fading. 

He turned another page. Same timeframe but different day. Dani was putting a coffee down next to him, saying something. He was hunched over a map, a small look of annoyance on his face at being interrupted. Dani’s face just looked… _blank._

Images of Dani’s face after Peter had announced that the arrest warrant was still out for her mom ran through his mind. It was same look. _She was steeling herself against me._

Malcolm felt sick. He had known they hadn’t talked as much; he admitted as much earlier. But he hadn’t realized that it wasn’t just the… absence… of interactions. He’d replaced the interactions…replaced them with callousness. 

_This wasn’t boundaries._ He imagined the hurt of having someone you’ve grown close to suddenly treat you like an annoyance. Particularly given Dani’s background. He closed his eyes, remembering the conversation in the bathroom. Her earnest _why_ after he’d admitted that he had stopped talking to her. 

A wave of nausea doubled him over as he took stuttering breathes. His hand practically vibrating. 

That she had called Alexandre, someone that dangerous, laden with old wounds and baggage, to help him… while he had still been ignoring her presence… _Not ignoring. You probably let her know how much of a bother she was in a thousand little ways._

Malcolm felt tears prick his eyes as he shook his head over and over, beginning to rock back and forth. _I’m sorry. I’m so sorry._

Suddenly, the phone from the box buzzed where it lay, an unknown number flashing across the screen. 

Malcolm took a deep breath, trying to focus. Drawing on years of experience and training, he systematically compartmentalized his feelings. He knew who was on the other side of the call. 

As he felt himself grow numb and in control, he reached for the phone, “Chasen Keller. Nice to finally talk to you.”

An amused chuckle sounded on the other side, “It’s good to finally talk to you Bright.”

“What can I do for you?” 

“Well, not much. I wanted to reach out so we can come to an understanding.”

“That’s good. I’d like to as well.”

“We’re both close to Ella and Jess. It’s important the people in their lives get along.”

Malcolm cocked his head, “I agree. It’s important for Dani and Jess to be safe.” He waited for Chasen’s reaction to the name difference. It wasn’t long in coming. 

“Ella. Her name – her real name – is Ella. Her father set her on a better path, but she never stopped being Ella.” 

Malcolm nodded silently, “Ok, Ella. Is the better path the one away from Alexandre?” 

Malcolm heard a sigh on the other end. “He’s my mentor. More of a father to me than my own ever was.” Chasen’s voice became more contemplative, “He tries in his own way. Like when he helped Ella and Peter take down Mr. Endicott.” 

“Did you help with that?”

“No,” Chasen sighed again, “I would have. I’d always help Ella. But I couldn’t get involved. I could only watch occasionally, and Ella didn’t know how to ask me.”

_Occasional. Surveillance was inconsistent. Probably between jobs._ “Because of what happened the last time you were in New York?”

“Yes, Marcus and Alexandre were upset with me. Michael threatened to kill me even. Ella understood.” Chasen said the last statement with such surety, Malcolm stilled. 

“How do you know?”

“Oh, I listened into the therapy sessions the police made her take while I was courting her. She knows…”

Malcolm felt his stomach sour as he tried to get his anger under control, “Knows what Chasen?” 

“That I always want what’s best for our family.” 

_Courting. Jane Austen dresses. What he knows about interacting with women is likely from books. Get him off center._ “What about earlier today? Ella and Jess could have died.” 

“Bunny chose Jess over saving herself,” Chasen’s infatuation dripped off of each word. 

_Kroliks or Krysas. Ah._ “You wanted to see if she’d choose Jess. She could have just climbed out of the window and left Jess behind… Was she still Bunny or had she become more like Alexandre in your absence?” Bright paused, then vocalized his suspicion, “You were going to fill the glass box with water no matter what. Using the phone just gave you your excuse.” 

The silence on the other side of the phone was confirming. Malcolm continued, “And you wanted to see if we could step up for Ella.” _Let’s see how off center I can push him._ “And we did step up. Ella was really grateful to Marcus and me.” 

A crash sounded from the other side of the phone, Chasen’s voice shifted, hostility pouring out, as he began to rant, “You see it too - now. In the album. You’re mean to Ella. You don’t deserve her, just like Marcus doesn’t.” Scorn dripped from his voice, “Marcus chose crime instead.” Chasen laughed to himself, “Can you imagine?” He turned his attention back to Malcolm, just as disdainful, “You chose everyone else but her. You don’t deserve her. You were mean to her.” 

Blue eyes glance up at the security system. _He’s watching again._ “Why did you send the album here rather than my apartment?” 

Chasen’s voice shifted, pouty and with the menacing tone of a child, “You’re going to try and be friends with Eric and Jess. You need to be nice to them or else.” 

Malcolm’s eyebrows furrowed and compassion flared in his chest. _His development is stuck at around 6. Even the words he’s choosing is childlike. He’s completely dissociating the ramifications of what he did._

Malcolm adjusted his tone, “I will be. Like you said, it is important people get along. We have friends in common Chasen. Maybe we could be friends and I could help you?” 

“How?” 

“Well, you know about my sister. I got her help. Isn’t this a nice place? Haven’t you seen people trying to help her?” 

“You want to lock me up, away from Ella. My dad used to do that you know. He’d lock me away when he was drunk until I got good at breaking out. Alexandre used to lock me in warehouses and safe houses. I’d have to break out to practice. I can get out if you tried to lock me up.” 

Malcolm closed his eyes against the images in his head. A ten-year-old boy, chronically abused, taken from his friends, living god only knows where, with a sociopathic thief as his only influence. 

Suddenly, Chasen’s voice shifted again, almost like he was seeking reassurance, “It’s better Ella didn’t come with Alexandre and me. I was mad at first. But I think it’s better now. It’s good she lived with her father. He was a good man; I paid my respects.”

_The fake body._ “You’re out growing Alexandre. You’re your own man.”

“Exactly! It’s important to strike out on your own.”

“Is what you’re going to do impressive?”

Chasen’s voice grew with excitement, “Yes, Bunny’s going to be so pleased. I’m going to make sure all the animals are fine even.” Chasen seemed to catch himself, “The police won’t stop me.”

“Chasen, if you don’t want my help, I can introduce you to Gil. You know Gil; Ella is very close to him. He’s a good man too, like Dani’s father was. He helped me when I was just a child.” 

Begrudgingly Chasen ceded the point, “Yes, he was very upset when he learned what Peter and Alexandre were doing to Ella after her dad died. He made them stop.” 

An unnerving calm overtook Malcolm; a small buzzing noise began filling his ears as he processed the statement. His blue eyes turned crystalline, “What were they doing to Ella, Chasen?” 

Harsh laughter filled the phone, “You don’t know? It’s why Alexandre isn’t in jail. And you think you’re so close to her. You don’t know her story like I know her story. You can never be her partner. Not really. I’m going to be her partner. She likes me more anyway.” 

Malcolm felt the rush of a thousand emotions come barreling forward as Chasen hung up. He resisted the urge to slam the phone into the wall.

Knowing Chasen was still watching, he grabbed the album and phone and slid into an office next to the mailroom. No cameras. He closed the blinds to be sure.

Pacing, Malcolm tried to focus on everything Chasen just said to further build out his profile. The album seemed to mock him though, jeeringly interrupting his thoughts every time his eyes wandered to it.

He flipped it open to the page where Dani was steeling herself against him. Both hands flew to his head, as his gasping breath bent him over. Desperately, he tried to fight the panic attack he could feel building. 

Frantically, he sorted through their recent interactions. _Everything’s ok. We’re still friends._ He focused on the feel of her in his arms after her panic attack, brushing his thumb over her ankle in the bathroom, when she squeezed his arm on her way out of the conference room… _Wait, she initiated that._

Malcolm quickly flipped to the final photos. The last photo in the album was from two weeks ago. Malcolm remembered the moment. He was swinging by the precinct to bug Dani into letting him help with some of her cases even though a profile wasn’t needed. They had decided to grab tea while he attempted to convince her. The photo showed him gesturing wildly with one hand while the other was gently pulling her further away from a passing bike. His racing heart started to come down; his breathing slowly became normal.

Pulling out his own phone, he dialed, knowing he’d get her voicemail. “Gabrielle, it’s Malcolm. You mentioned a couple months ago you had a colleague specializing in trauma-informed, adult attachment and relationship issues. I,” Malcolm ran a finger over the soft smile gracing Dani’s face, “I’d like to set up an appointment.”


	15. Fierce Moral Inventory

Bright approached Dani’s hospital room with a sense of trepidation. His conversation with Gil about the call and album had gone over as well as he expected, but what threw him off was Gil’s complete lack of surprise he was a likely target of Keller’s and the album’s content. Bright stimmed his fingers against his palm, feeling the desire for his loft, a journal, and some space deep in his bones. But as with before, there was simply too much to do. 

Gil told Dani about the album and the phone call, while Bright had gone home to get his things for an overnight stay in the safe house. He had no idea what that conversation had been like, but he knew he was walking into its aftermath. 

Taking a steading breath, he knocked on the hospital door, small overnight bag in hand. As Dani’s voice beckoned him in, he took a second cleansing breath. 

Bright smiled and nodded at everyone. Dani was leaning over a bag with Jess, while JT and Marcus eyed each other from across the room. “Hello everyone. Ready Dani?” 

“Yeah, just waiting for the final papers. Jess, thank you for packing me a bag.” 

Jess smiled at JT, “And thank you JT for the safety escort.” JT smiled back, his eyes crinkling slightly at the corners, before his face went blank as he turned back to Marcus. Dani and Jess eyed each other in amusement.

As the women sorted the last of their things, Bright moved over to talk to JT quietly. 

“You were briefed on the call?” 

JT’s jaw tensed as he nodded, “Yeah, I don’t like this bro. Putting all the potential targets in one place seems stupid.” 

Bright nodded, ceding the point, “Probably. I don’t think he wants to kill us just yet though.” He leaned a bit closer to JT, “Gil told you my analysis of the water and the box?” 

JT nodded, shifting on his feet slightly, “He was going to do it anyway.”

“Yes, I believe so. I also think he would have done something to try and save Dani if we hadn’t figured it out. He wants her to watch him win.” 

“We almost blew her up. I almost blew her up. He gambled with her life a million times over.”

Bright’s eyes narrowed, turning hard, “Completely agree. He’s likely having clinical psychotic episodes – meaning he is actively losing touch with the reality of what he’s doing. It makes him exceptionally dangerous. Make no mistake, just because in his mind he had a Plan B, doesn’t mean the threat of death wasn’t real. That said, the safe house is Alexandre’s territory. Just like Dani said, the part still able to be rational won’t want to risk the business impacts of going directly against Alexandre. Having talked to him, I don’t think his psychosis would want it to be the last place for showdown either. He needs to complete his quest to win the girl.” 

Dani joined them; bag thrown over her shoulder. Bright automatically reached to carry it for her, years of etiquette training turning it into muscle memory. She smiled in thanks, “I heard about the call and the album. He’s really been watching me off and on for the past 6 months?” 

Bright nodded, scanning her for autonomic tells. Concern settled in his stomach as he came up empty. She was hiding. “Yes, likely between jobs. Are you –” 

“Ready? Yes.” Dani cut off his question of concern and turned to Marcus. “Marcus, we just need to swing by the nurses’ station for the very last piece of paperwork. Then, we can leave.”

Marcus nodded agreeably. Turning to Bright, his voice took on a firm but surprisingly apologetic tone, “We’re going to need you blindfolded for the drive so the house isn’t compromised.” 

“Absolutely not,” Dani’s voice rang out quickly, hard and incredulous. 

Everyone turned to look at her. Bright had expected this and was prepared to concede. It wasn’t great for his PTSD when something like this happened: loss of control, loss of freedom of movement, and other triggers. Everything with Dani was adding to the pile as well. But he and his psychiatrist had a set plan for increasing his anti-anxiety medication and some other elements of his cocktail when things were bad on a case. He began the adjusted regime after discovering Charles Powell’s fake body, anticipating this would be a hell of a case. 

Marcus raised his hand to try and placate Dani, “I know that’s not great, but the safe house will be burned if you or Bright know where it is.”

“You don’t ask me to wear a blindfold.”

Marcus looked a little befuddled at that argument, “It’s in your and Peter’s best interest to not know where it is. That’s not necessarily true for Bright or Gil.” Marcus paused, a little embarrassed by his next statement, “You won’t look.” 

Bright took note of the distinction being made between Gil and Peter. _Interesting. Why would Peter not want to know where the safe house is?_

Dani crossed her arms. Left hip jutting out, her brown eyes narrowed. Both Bright and Marcus tensed knowing what it meant, while JT winced in the background. 

“Then get a van with no windows. We’ll wait. You aren’t blindfolding my partner.” 

Bright felt warmth flood his veins. Very few people had ever stepped up to defend him in the face of bullies – at any point in his life. It wasn’t exactly the same thing; Bright didn’t believe Marcus’ request had been from a place of malice, but… Bright reveled in the feeling, a small smile playing on his face, his shoulders straightening slightly. 

Marcus bit the inside of his cheek but nodded, stepping out to make a call. Jess followed him out. Dani turned to Bright and JT only to find them both staring at her. Furrowing her brows, she impatiently beckoned towards the door, “Well, let’s go finish the paperwork.” 

\-----------------------

They exited the van about an hour later. Still in New York, Bright was convinced Marcus had taken several detours to try and make sure his sense of direction was off, while he and Dani had sat in companionable silence in the back. 

As they pulled into a garage with a direct entrance to the house, Bright took a look around him as they walked in. Discrete signs of security were everywhere, and the windows had an opaque film covering the panes. _No ability to note landmarks._

It was lovely really, the architecture and furnishings. They gave away more than Marcus probably realized. The details in the wood banisters, crown molding, and the floor plan itself indicated to Bright’s sophisticated eye that the house was turn of the century in the style of the architect Ajello. He took a look at a wooden carving over the door as they hung up their jackets. Moderate quality wood stained to look higher end… probably designed by a student, not Ajello directly. _I can probably narrow down – potentially even identify – the safe house’s location through the Milton’s real estate company. Distinctive sounds would help narrow it down further._ Bright decided to keep his ears open.

Dani made her way in, her pace picking up, “Eric? We’re here.” Bright immediately focused on Dani; his eyes tracking her, mouth quirking up at the corners. Dani’s voice was eager, pleased. It was a tone he associated with their happier, playful moments. He was excited to be meeting her little brother. The fact her older brother, Michael, was referenced but not actively discussed hadn’t escaped his notice.

Suddenly, Dani slowed her walk, putting her luggage down. A younger man, mid-20s, wandered in, his features and smile reminiscent of Dani’s. Eric quietly walked over to his sister, eyes scanning the presence of Bright, Marcus, and Jess. Without a sound, he wrapped her up in a big hug as they fondly knocked foreheads. A second later, he gently and without malice pushed her away, not wanting to be touched any longer.

Dani smiled, “Bright, this is my brother Eric. Eric, you remember my stories of Bright? He’s my friend at work.” 

For the second time that day, warmth flooded Bright. He historically was more used to people trying to minimize knowledge that he interacted with them. _She’s told him about me._

Dani continued, “Remember, he’s Sunshine’s dad.” 

At that, Bright pursed his lips around a smile. _First time I’ve ever been called that._ He walked towards the two of them, not exactly sure what approach would make her brother most comfortable. With Dani not offering any specific guidance, he simply held out his hand for Eric to shake, “Sunshine is pretty great. It’s really nice to meet you Eric.” 

Eric nodded and shook Bright’s hand briefly before looking away towards Jess’ feet. He went over to give Jess a small, loose hug before sitting down in the corner of the living room. Grabbing a sketch pad, he began to draw, putting headphones on and letting the world fall away. Bright watched a bit enviously. _If only I could retreat to silence right now._

He looked over at Dani. She was watching the exchanges with a small smile, her muscles visibly relaxing. She stepped into Bright’s space causing him to automatically lean forward to hear her whisper, touching her elbow. “Eric doesn’t know Chasen is back yet. Marcus told him it was going to be an extended stay at the safe house but not why. He’s going to be furious when he finds out. We need tonight to go well.” She bit her lip, the idea of keeping something from her brother obviously bothering her, “I’ll tell him tomorrow or when this is all done.” Louder, she gently touched his arm back, “Come on. I’ll take you to your room for tonight.”

“Oh, I put him in your room.”

Dani and Bright whipped around to stare at Jess. She had thrown her bag on the couch and was walking into the kitchen. She looked over her shoulder, “I spoke to Marcus while you were getting the last of your paperwork and he was having some minion bring a van. I asked him to put Bright in your room Dani. Given Gil and JT were both nervous about this idea, I figured it would help everyone feel more secure.” Jess bit her lip around a smile, eyes laughing, and carelessly waved towards the stairs, “It took some convincing, but a cost should be in there.” 

Bright’s eyes flittered towards Marcus who was diligently walking away, a scowl painting his face. He swallowed hard. Before he could say anything, Dani nodded and gestured for him to follow, avoiding his eyes. 

Dani cleared her throat around the awkwardness and began ushering him through the safe house with obviously familiarity. After a moment, and with no sense of self-consciousness, Dani announced, “There are surveillance videos covering any entry points to the house, including any room with windows. The exception are the bedrooms.” Her smile quirked and her eyes gleamed, “There used to be, but I pointed out that means people under Alexandre’s employ would be seeing Jess and I naked. They were removed the next day.” Dani looked up directly into a discreet surveillance camera, “And I check to make sure they aren’t put back. Cameras covering the windows in bedrooms are outside.” 

She continued on, heading to the second floor, “The only people who use this particular safe house with any consistency are Marcus, Jess, myself, and Eric.”

Bright cocked his head at that but said nothing. _Strange to have this nice of a house only for their usage._

“Business isn’t conducted here. Alexandre has access and controls security. But he’s rarely here. If Marcus is acting as a CI for me, Peter is involved as well and now of course Gil. However, we don’t meet here and we never discuss anything at the safe house.” Dani’s voice held a warning he took note of. 

_Why would they need a safe house so frequently then?_

She looked over her shoulder at him, “It’s a hard rule. So, technically, tonight won’t be about business. Alexandre won’t bring up what Chasen is planning. You shouldn’t either. He’ll be more interested in feeling you out, giving you the chance to do the same. As a heads up, I’ve never found a bug in the bedrooms or bathrooms, but I always assume the common areas are bugged.” 

The bizarreness of the conversation started to hit Bright fully. It must have shown on his face, as Dani glanced at him then immediately looked down, wincing slightly, “I get this is really weird. I can explain more later.” She opened a door to a functional yet comfortable bedroom with attached bathroom. A cot was set up in the corner. “This is my bedroom. Whatever bed is best for your restraints, you can have… assuming you’ll be using them?”

He nodded, putting his bag down near the cot. Turning to look back at Dani, she stood in the doorway, fiddling with her rings nervously. He paused for a second, then tilted his head towards the bathroom. Dani followed, closing the door behind her. 

He turned to look at her, “I figured better safe than sorry.” He reached into the pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a small electronic device. Flipping it on, he smiled, “It’s an electronic surveillance dampener. The firm we’re using to help with Ainsley’s case uses them. I borrowed one.” Despite the seriousness of the situation, Bright’s tone turned eager, “I might start collecting some spy craft materials to add to my weapons collection.” 

Dani smiled nervously. _If I was Bright…How can he trust me?_ She began to steel herself, fully prepared to receive what she was sure was coming.

Instead, Bright’s rather inappropriate smile shifted to quickly to concern, his eyes roving over her face, “Dani? What’s wrong?” 

“Huh?” That was not the question she had expected. _How could you have not told me any of this? Why have you been lying? What the hell, Dani?_ She was prepared to have to face down those types of questions. Not his concern. 

He waited, the silence growing heavier. Suddenly, she waved her arm around them, as though asking Bright to take in where they were, “Well, I mean… besides you learning I was partially raised by criminals, still have contact with one of them, have family members that are criminals, brought you to a literal secret lair, and now have set you up to have a battle of wills with a criminal mastermind after the world’s most insane bout of group problem solving?” 

A snort of amusement escaped before Bright could stop it. He rocked back on his heels and clasped his hands behind him, continuing to just wait. 

His calmness pushed at Dani, making her question her own approach to this moment. She looked down in thought, as Bright tried his best to project a friendly and safe energy. 

Taking a deep breath, Dani decided to get right to the heart of what had been bothering her deeply, “Bright, last night and today, I… Look, I know after everything with your family, probably having a partner with a criminal connection isn’t,” Dani faltered, “great.” 

She shook her head annoyed with herself, “I mean, I get learning your partner also committed crimes and just conveniently left everything out would…suck…” She sighed, “This is probably triggering as hell and now _I’m_ as much as a trigger as anything else, I would imagine. That’s the opposite of what I would ever want.” 

_Jesus, Dani, stop talking._ Dani berated herself silently. One last comment, the crux of it all, clawed itself out from within her before she could stop it, “I know I don’t have the right words, but you’re my friend.” She paused and looked at him through her eyelashes, embarrassed, “You mean a lot to me, and I’m sure this has impacted your trust in me, rightfully so. But I would like the opportunity to earn it back if you’ll give it to me, and I’ll answer any questions you may have once this is over, I promise.” 

Bright took a moment to look inwards. Again, Dani had surprised him, leaving him unsure of his next moves. _Don’t profile her, just respond._

Gently, allowing her time to pull away, he reached for her hand. Tugging, he moved to sit them both down on the side of the bathtub. When she didn’t pull away, he began lightly playing with the rings on her fingers, gathering his thoughts. His eyes focused on how the light reflected off of the gold of the rings onto her skin.

“Thank you for bringing this up. Dani, I…” Bright paused, glancing at her face. Taken aback, he took in the soft smile on her lips. _My smile._ Courage flowed into him and he reveled in the feeling. 

Taking a deep breath, Bright decided on honesty, “I’m not ok.” He watched her shoulders fall slightly, and skimmed a thumb over the back of her hand in response. “That’s not the same as saying I don’t trust you or I find you triggering. Dani, you are…” _Dangerous. Safe. Everything in between._ “You are you. And that means more than I have coherent words for right now.” 

He plowed on, avoiding her eyes, “There are signs my sister was groomed by someone. Now you were too. I… I’m scared for you both. In the words of your father, you chose life, but you seem to be navigating it all alone. Ainsley, on the other hand, isn’t alone but still has choices to make.”

Letting go of Dani’s hand, he rested his forearms on his knees, leaning forward. He ran a shaking hand over his head as he sighed, “My brain is still putting pieces and thoughts together, but I am sure of several things. The first is that I can’t change the past. I can’t change what happened to me, my sister, or you. But I don’t want you to be alone in all of this anymore. I’m not police. I want to be on your side. Not Peter’s, definitely not Alexandre’s, not even Gil’s… yours. I have a ton of questions we can go through later, but I don’t want you to think it’s about lack of trust.” 

“Secondly,” at this, Bright’s eyes grew intense as he tilted his head to make sure he caught her eye, “I don’t ever want Alexandre to have something on you or for you to owe him on my account. I can’t begin to thank you for all you did with Endicott.” Bright huffed a self-reproving laugh, “Particularly knowing I’ve been a bit of an ass, but the idea of you being in danger directly because of my family’s mess is not something I can stomach.” 

Dani furrowed her brow. Mimicking his posture, she rested her forearms on her legs and leaned forward so their shoulder’s touched, “So, let me get this straight. You want me to let you in on all the Alexandre mess….my family’s mess… but I can’t help you with yours?” She gently knocked her shoulder into his, “That’s a pretty crappy partnership Bright. That’s not even real friendship. If you want into my life, I want into yours.” 

Bright’s neck flushed slightly, and his voice turned shy, “I understand the logic of that; I can even quote studies that would support it… My therapist would be over the moon, but,” He stared at floor in front of him hard, “I don’t know what that means in practice.” 

Dani nodded, her lips pursing thoughtfully, a slight uplift to their corners, “That makes sense. I imagine we both are going to be pretty bad at this at first. So maybe we just agree on a couple of things. We have to actively try and tell each other what’s going on, and we have to actually admit when we’ve totally screwed up because we know we will. We’re too used to being alone for that to change overnight.” Dani smiled, licking her lips slightly, “And then we have to actually do something to address the situation so the other person is brought in.” 

Laughter began dancing in Bright’s eyes, lightening the blue even further, “So, we admit we are powerless and are going to screw up, do a fierce moral inventory, make amends, and move forward together.” Dani’s smile widened as Bright continued, amusement peppering his tone, “How very 12 Steps of us.” 

Knocking their shoulder’s together again, she laughed, “Hey, it works.” 

They settled down after a brief chuckle, shoulders pressed firmly together. Bright looked at her fondly, “Should we actually talk about how to handle the sociopathic criminal mastermind coming to dinner tonight?”

Dani let out a long-suffering sigh, “Oh, if you insist.”


	16. A Meeting of Minds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little note to say that Eric is very much inspired by one of my most favorite little people in the world. I wanted to include him because he’s wonderful. That’s it. Just a random Aunt brag.

Dani felt herself truly relax, the soreness and stiffness left over from the day lessening slightly. She had refused pain medicine, not wanting to risk it. _Besides, this is just as good._ Dani wiggled herself deeper into the couch cushions. One of the two buzzes of concern perpetually in the back of her mind quieted as she watched her little brother sketch. 

She knew Gil and JT weren’t fans of this plan, but she had needed deeply to see her brother. It hadn’t helped that she had struggled to articulate fully why she knew Chasen wouldn’t target them here. The words came through Bright, when she had overheard him talking to JT. Dani also knew Marcus would die to protect Eric, but seeing him there for herself, contentedly ignoring the interlopers with his sound-dampening headphones on… she could quiet at least one part of her mind. The other buzz, for Michael, was a constant and not in her power to change right now. 

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, listening to the sounds of Marcus and Jess in the kitchen making dinner. Bright was next to her reading, as only Marcus was allowed electronics with GPS. The pencil her brother was using created a lovely white noise around the clatter coming from the kitchen. If she quieted her mind enough, sometimes she could convince herself for a moment that Michael was nearby too. Then they’d all be together.

The beautiful chirping of a bird suddenly rang out. Dani opened her eyes, smiling at her brother. Eric looked at her with a question in his eyes, making the sound again. 

Bright sat up straight, putting his book down, “Um, Eric that sounds absolutely identical to Sunshine.” 

Dani laughed at Bright’s expression, “He does almost perfect mimics of birds. He adores animals.” She tilted her head towards Eric, “What’s Sunshine up to if you’re here?” Eric stopped the chirping noise, staring intently at Bright’s feet, waiting for the answer. 

Bright smiled. Addressing Eric, he offered, “My family has a maid. She has keys to my place and comes over to let him out to fly and change his food and water whenever I’m gone.”

Eric nodded and went back to sketching. Bright hesitated for a second, then asked, “What are you sketching Eric?” 

A minute passed and Eric turned the pad so Bright could see. It was a highly detailed rendering of an owl. Dani contextualized the graphic for him, “Eric does freelance sketching for zoological journals, books, things like that.” 

“That’s unbelievable,” Bright voice took on the quality of genuine amazement.

Eric cleared his throat, drawing his shoulders back. The perfectly pitched hoot of an owl came next. Dani threw him a look, “Don’t brag.”

Eric smiled and pointed to Bright’s book. Bright flipped the title over so Eric could see – The Once and Future King. “I like the story of King Arthur and I saw it on the bookshelf over there.” Eric nodded and settled back down. 

Dani turned to Bright about to say something when Marcus and Jess walked in. “Dinner will be ready soon. Spaghetti,” Jess looked at Bright a little apologetically, “Not very fancy I know.” 

Bright shrugged, not caring in the least, “Thank you. I appreciate it.” He squirmed slightly; it was always awkward when others cooked for him. He began mentally coaching himself to eat enough not to be rude. 

Marcus looked at Eric, “And I set aside some for just plain noodles and butter.” 

Eric smiled at his sketch pad while Dani just looked exasperated, “Is there at least salad?”

Marcus’ voice lightened, a friendly, teasing tone Bright hadn’t heard from him yet, “Like I would ever do that to Eric. Of course not.” Marcus sat and gently kicked Dani’s calf with his toe, “Just a lot of carbs, and a lot fat, and absolutely no vitamins.” Dani rolled her eyes and pursed her lips in a good-natured rebuke. 

Jess half-sat on the top of the couch, “It’s ready whenever people want.” 

To Bright’s surprise though, no one made any moves to get up. Dani leaned over to him, speaking softly, “It takes a second for Eric to make the transition. We usually wait for him. Is that ok?” 

Bright’s eyes twinkled in response, “I guess so. You know what a voracious eater I am.” Dani rolled her eyes again. 

“Eyes will break,” The halting sentence came from Eric, his voice playful.

Dani arched her eyebrows. Leaning forwards towards Eric, she dramatically rolled her eyes, making sure her brother could see. 

Jess piped up quickly, “Keep rolling them. Maybe you’ll find a brain back there eventually.” 

Dani giggled, causing Bright to immediately chuckle, having never heard that particular laugh from his partner before. 

The women turned to Marcus expectantly, who threw out an insult at Eric instead, the fondness in his tone removing any sting, “Eric, I googled the magazine you’re doing the drawings for. They have miles to go to be mediocre. No wonder they picked you.” 

Eric paused, strumming his fingers together, and rocking slightly. Dani, Jess, and Marcus simply waited, so Bright did too. After a couple of minutes, Eric’s voice rang out, “Animals played the role of living tools in human evolution.” 

“OH!” Dani and Jess both started cracking up, while Marcus gasped loudly in mock offense.

Dani leaned over to Bright, slightly breathless from laughing and explained, “The insult is less about the sentence and more about the words it includes. He just called Marcus a living tool.” Jess laughingly poked at Marcus, who threw his hands up in defeat.

Dani’s brown eyes danced in glee. She knocked Bright’s knee with her hand, “Come on. Dinner’s on.” She eyed him, “There’s probably enough carbs and fat for two people to have just noodles and butter.” Bright smiled at her in gratitude as all five stood to walk to the table. 

Bright took stock of those around him as they ate. Dani was the only one he could consider a friend, but he found himself easily fitting in, which surprised him. Jess actively tried to include him on conversations, staying away from inside jokes, but happily telling stories – usually about Dani – she thought he’d find funny. Even Marcus, who had at first avoided talking directly with Bright, loosened up and started making snarky remarks Bright found amusing, as much as a part of him hated to admit it. 

_Ainsley would enjoy this._ Realization hit him about halfway through dinner. Ainsley would have bantered, adding embarrassing stories about him to the mix. She would have liked Jess’ energy and Marcus showed a surprising amount of wit. Eric was largely silent but radiated a peaceful presence. Meanwhile, Dani just settled in next to him, comfortable and comforting. He was acutely aware of her: every gesture, every smile, every bite. He hadn’t had a dinner like this in… _Ever. I wish Ainsley was here._ Remove the threat of Alexandre and Chasen and the dinner became…fun. 

Dani had mentioned her trust issues to him the night after Estime’s club, and the more he learned about her, the more that became understandable. But here, around this table, she seemed almost centered.

Bright had always considered Dani a nurturing person. The signs were never overt; it was small tells that gave her away. He watched her reach for a second helping of spaghetti, remembering early on with Gil’s team when he’d spotted Dani sorting through the team’s collection of takeout menus. She kept only the ones with food he’d eat. She’d done it without saying a word, and he never mentioned it. Here at dinner, though, that side of her was on full display. He loved every second of it. Eventually, to his dismay, dinner finished, and everyone got up to help clean. 

_Dr. Whitly would have complete control over her if he saw how attached she was to them._ The thought came unbidden as he helped Jess clear the table. Coldness swept over him, bringing his blood to a crawl. Standing up quickly, he startled Jess. Ignoring her question of whether he was ok, all he could do was stare at Dani. _Alexandre never let go of her. He knew she couldn’t be a criminal but when she became a cop… He’s simply shifted the mechanisms of control…Peter._

Bright wasn’t sure how, the details of the journey alluded him, but Bright felt a surety settle on his shoulders. At some point, probably after Dani’s dad died, Peter had come into contact with Alexandre and a deal was made. Chasen’s comment about how Alexandre avoided jail echoed in his mind. 

Bright’s jaw clenched and he could feel every muscle stiffen. _Gil found out about the deal and is trying to mediate the damage. Whatever Alexandre and Peter cooked up; it’d have to be legal. Gil wouldn’t tolerate police corruption. Eric, Jess, Marcus, and probably Michael are the pawns in this game. Leverage for Dani’s cooperation. Alexandre’s the chess master._

A predatory smile unfurled across Bright’s face. _Good thing I know chess._

\--------------------

Everyone was sitting around the living room just… waiting. The lightness of dinner began to dissipate and a new feeling started to descend. Bright recognized the atmosphere as the same he sensed as he prepared to meet with Dr. Whitly. For the others, however, this was new. They were used to dealing with Alexandre in other contexts. Waiting to begin a mental showdown with a highly intelligent criminal was not something they usually did. He scanned the others. 

Dani was playing a card game with Eric and Jess. She would occasionally look at her watch, eyes darting quickly to him and Marcus after each time. After Dani completed her little ritual, Jess would look up at her, face a mixture of dread, anticipation, and sympathy. Jess would then quickly look back down to her cards. Marcus, on the other hand, was reading a well-worn book of Shakespeare’s sonnets, surprising Bright. He watched as Marcus’ posture progressively tensed as time went on. _Alexandre’s education of Marcus and Jess eventually included the classics. Fits. He’d want his various heirs to be –_

Bright’s thoughts were cut off when a quiet ping chimed around the room. Everyone’s reactions were immediate and ingrained, telling him the ping meant the coming of Alexandre. Dani’s spine stiffened, a coolness wrapping around her being. Eric started cleaning up cards, while Jess closed her eyes in resignation. Turning to Eric, she offered to put a movie on upstairs. Squeezing Dani’s hand, she and Eric left without a look back. 

But it was Marcus who surprised Bright. He watched as a new persona came over Marcus so thoroughly, there was no way to see the true man he’d began to get to know at dinner. Bright felt himself thawing towards Marcus. Much like the atmosphere, he recognized the persona. He had to grow a similar one himself once he found out what his father was. _Marcus has been under a sociopath’s control since ten but still kept his humanity. No wonder Gil tries to get along with him. That’s pretty amazing._

He wasn’t sure what Marcus and Dani were to each other anymore. The casual way they touched speaking of old intimacies Dani had readily admitted too; however, he also saw the boundaries between them now. A question lingered in the back of his throat. _Would you be with him if you could?_ One day he’d ask, but he knew right now he had no rights to the answer. 

“The alert means Alexandre is about 10 minutes away. He’s let security know he’s almost here.” Marcus looked at Dani and Bright. “You two obviously talked through a plan,” said as both question and fact, Marcus waited to hear it. 

Dani nodded, her aura radiating Detective Powell, “Yes, it’s an uncomplicated one. Bright is used to these conversations. He’s done them his entire career. Ultimately, he’ll do best without interference.”

Marcus nodded hesitantly, “You and I make ourselves scarce. I don’t like it.” 

“I know. We’ll be in the dining room, playing chess. Alexandre won’t interrupt our game unless he truly wants to.” Her lips quirked, “You know how he feels about the sanctity of a good chess game.” 

Marcus nodded more confidently, “Close enough to hear and be called if needed. No business.” Said to Bright, Marcus looked him straight in the eye, the threat left unsaid but still very real. He was not going to tolerate any outside-the-lines behavior. 

Bright decided to speak to the true issue, “I would never knowingly put Jess and Eric in danger.” Marcus seemed to search his face. Whatever he found there reassured him.

“Ok, I’ll set up the chess game.” 

\------------------------

Marcus and Dani had completed their first few moves by the time Alexandre walked in the door. Bright was quietly reading, facing the entry way and dining room. He had not seen Dani and Alexandre interact yet. While he had not said anything to Dani, he needed that information for his profile as well. 

The moment Alexandre walked in the door, Marcus and Dani stood, the move ingrained. _She’s been interacting with him directly outside of when she was a child._ It added credence to his theory about Alexandre and Peter collaborating directly – not just going through Marcus. Bright noted their body language and posture. _Respectful. Closed off. Professional. Awaiting the Alpha’s move._ Dani had a hardness, a distance Marcus lacked. One side of her mouth spasmed downward quickly before resetting. _Resentment._

Alexandre walked fluidly inside, his movements confident as he tossed his hat and coat on a nearby piece of furniture. _A show of familiarity. Highlighting this is his territory._ A smile split Alexandre’s face, exuding warmth. He walked directly towards Dani. 

“My darling Ella. I apologize for disappearing after the unfortunate incident earlier today. I’ve been worried,” without a sense of irony or hesitation, Alexandre moved to embrace her. As Alexandre wrapped his arms around her in a hug, Bright had a front row seat to Dani’s face, which rippled to different emotions rapidly before a blank slate settled over her features. _Confusion. Hatred. Pleased. Anger… Nothingness…_

Bright tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement of Dani’s ability to hide herself. _She’s good. Needs training to do it faster in the presence of a criminal. I can teach her that._ Not for the first time, Bright considered how Dani would make a good profiler. 

“I’m fine, Alexandre.” 

“Wonderful, my darling girl. I knew Lieutenant Arroyo would be good hands to leave you in.” _He’s emphasized the ‘my’ in my darling twice now…emphasis on the choice to leave her rather than circumstances dictating it. Interesting. He may feel his ‘ownership’ is in question. He brought up Gil. Staking a claim._

Alexandre eyed her features, taking in the bruises they could see. “Marcus, we have a guest. I hope you’re making him feel at home?” 

“Of course.” 

Alexandre nodded jovially, “Good, good. I see I’m interrupting a game. I’ll go keep our guest company.”

As Dani and Marcus turned to sit back down, Alexandre suddenly grabbed Dani’s wrist, holding her still; his friendliness replaced by an intensity Bright could feel a room away. Both he and Marcus tensed immediately; Dani stayed calm, a single eyebrow arching. 

“Remember in these coming days who you are Ella. You are Krysa.” 

Whatever that meant to Dani, its impact was immediate. She and Alexandre locked eyes. Her guard flickered for a moment, a look of true resolve crossing her features. 

“Very good my dear.” 

Alexandre approached Bright, calm and collected. The friendliness was back, oozing from every mannerism. His eyes, however, were sharp and focused. “Welcome to the safe house. It’s unusual to have a guest. I hope you’re enjoying our hospitality?” 

Bright let a monied and cultured smile cross his features, as he stood to shake Alexandre’s hand. His manner radiating Milton pedigree, “Of course. I appreciate you having me.” _Unimpressed with your show of power Alexandre._

“Good. Would you like some whiskey? I have a Glenfiddich 45-Year-Old that’s outstanding.”

Bright’s smile widened, “We have similar tastes in whiskey. How could I say no?” He watched as Alexandre poured two glasses, mentally tipping his hat to Alexandre’s subtle way of letting him know he was unimpressed with Bright’s wealth and status. _Touché._

“Ah, the Once and Future King. May I?” Bright traded the book for the glass of whiskey being offered. 

“A complex tale. An abused and orphaned child discovering his worth and becoming King, a troubled knight who can’t help but obsess over the queen, an illegitimate heir who lays claims to the throne, a search for righteousness…” Alexandre trailed off, true laughter dancing behind the ferocity in his eyes, “How apropos.” 

Bright smiled, a small part of himself enjoying the exchange, “You forgot Merlin. The wise father figure, external to it all, who offers counsel and helps guide towards the defense of the innocent.” Alexandre’s smile turned slightly feral before going back to friendly. _Gil is a consistent, existential threat to sociopaths. There’s something more to Gil that’s triggering them than just his relationship to either me or Dani. I need to write a paper on that one day._

Bright filed the observation away and took a sip of whiskey. _Damn, this really is good. I’ll have to get myself a bottle._ He held up the glass in a cheers motion. Alexandre nodded, appreciating Bright’s admittance to his tastes. 

“The book ends with Arthur contemplating his legacy. Sure that, even though he is to die, his work will go on.” 

Alexandre leaned back in his chair thoughtfully at Bright’s comment, “Legacies are important. Since recorded history, humans have worked to cement legacies. It’s only recently the concept has lost preeminence in the zeitgeist… and so many wonder why mid-life crises are no longer confined to mid-life.” 

“Attitudes around children are different now,” Bright offered. “Before they were considered property. Now they are their own person.” 

“True,” Alexandre nodded in acknowledgement of Bright’s point, “But even as their own person, their fate, their environment, their actions are still fundamentally joined to, and impacted by, those of their parents – or primary influencers I should say. Families look many different ways these days. And, as they say, once a parent, always a parent.”

_The deal definitely exists whatever it is._ Bright watched as Alexandre took a long sip. 

Alexandre continued on thoughtfully, “I think there is also hesitation on the part of the children to acknowledge the role of legacy in their lives as well. We often talk of parents crafting their legacies, but the children are always involved. They inherent. It’s the way of things. The legacy can even be lack of legacy. A void where the meaningful and purposeful transition of knowledge, values, perspective, and character should be. Good parental figures always attempt to make that transition.” 

Bright quirked an eyebrow, flashes of his childhood and his father’s dedicated attention playing in his mind. _Not very subtle Alexandre. Time to take control._

“That’s the power of books,” Bright said, taking a contemplative sip. “They activate the power of the mind, helping create good conversations and generate insights. The arena of the mind is often forgotten about; instead, most focus on the arena of the body. Exercising the mind is as important, if not more, than the body.”

“Oh, I agree completely. Most people, when they think longevity, focus on ensuring bodily health. Take Marcus,” Alexandre waved his hand towards the dining room where Dani and Marcus were diligently playing chess. “He maintains an ability to be physically capable and up to snuff, but the primary focus of his time is never that. He’s incredibly good at chess, for example, usually playing the black pieces. You should play a game with him sometime; my guess is you’d be very good.”

Bright leaned back, contemplating what Alexandre had just told him. It was more revealing than he anticipated. _Alexandre has never been linked to a physically violent criminal act. His comments about Marcus being physically up to snuff but that it’s never his primary focus… Marcus is able to inflict violence but very likely only does so in self-defense. Since white moves first in chess, Alexandre is making the point clear. Marcus takes orders from him. He’s not a sadist, his people aren’t sadists, and he suspects I’m not either. Is Chasen though? Is that what caused their falling out?_

Before he could ask, Alexandre moved the conversation along. “Do you have any pets Mr. Bright?” Bright’s face betrayed nothing but inside he hesitated. _Where are you going with this?_

“I do. A bird in fact.”

Alexandre slapped his knee delighted, “A bird! Eric will be thrilled. You should show him sometime.”

“I will. He already knows all about him, though. Dani’s seen him at my apartment several times.” Bright smiled taking another sip, catching onto Alexandre’s train of thought. “Pets are a wonderful addition to a household; Dani has always been fond of my bird.” 

Alexandre’s smile grew toothier, “Taking care of a pet must be difficult given your line of work and the hours you keep. Ella loves animals and would have loved a pet, but alas, her work required to give that particular desire up.” 

Bright knew Alexandre was referencing Marcus and Dani’s relationship. _Likely trying to feel me out on that front._ The fact that Marcus and Dani had dated, but also broke up primarily only because of her job, was a sore point. _Alexandre suspects that._ The question he’d been trying to avoid sprang unbidden for a second time that night. _Would she choose Marcus if she could?_ The question lingered in his chest, tightening it. 

But he was used to this type of manipulation. Compared to Dr. Whitly, Alexandre was still learning. _So, Alexandre suspects I have romantic feelings for Dani. Gil might as well, given his lack of surprise over the album. This isn’t high school and the stakes much higher than a hurt heart._

Annoyance flared in his gut, but he was careful to keep it from showing in his body language. Instead, Bright’s face transformed into a mild look of sympathy, “I imagine that would be hard, giving up the desire for a pet because of your job. It really depends on the type of pet though doesn’t it? Still, one can take comfort in the fact that letting go of a bad fit is ultimately best for the pet as well. Pet’s should have homes that help them thrive, acknowledge their unique needs and strengths. Where they can be themselves. They are, after all, not really pets,” Bright’s tone turned philosophical, “but animals. Beings in their own right. A mismatch between a pet and a home can do a lot of damage.” 

“Very true. I read recently about an interesting characteristic called Resiliency to Chaos. Pets in an ill-fitting home can demonstrate some of the similar traits. Have you heard of it?” 

_Of course, I’m a profiler, but that’s not your point._ Resiliency to Chaos was the ability to thrive despite the chaos around a person. It was considered either a sign of a highly healthy person… or a common trait of a sociopath. Frequently, psychologists found that sociopaths created chaos purposefully. Since a sociopathic mind processes stress differently, they knew they would likely navigate the chaos better than others, thus giving them an advantage. He was accused of exhibiting the characteristic by some of his profiling peers at Quantico multiple times. _The difficulty being they had a point. Veiled references to being like my father. Not a sophisticated attack… Unless, he’s also talking about Chasen._

Bright’s mind quickly made the linkages between the warehouse from today and the observation about Resiliency to Chaos. _We can’t talk business, but he wants to strategize with me. Interesting. Chasen’s strategy at the university, whenever the heist takes place, will be to create chaos._

Bright shifted the conversation to Alexandre’s preferred topic, “I have heard of it. That’s a good point. Destructive behaviors of an out-of-control pet do resemble chaos. It can take special training to get them back on the right track." 

“Agreed. I found that –” A discrete knock came from the dining room. Alexandre’s look back at Marcus, intrigued by what could’ve prompted the interruption. 

“Alexandre, I received a note you should see.”

Bright cocked his head. _I thought they said no business._

Dani appeared behind Marcus, her face totally blank but body wound tight, “Alexandre, Michael found out Chasen is back.” 

Alexandre’s face was calm but he stared at Dani intently. “You understand our concern,” Marcus finished. 

“Of course, children. My Krysas, why don’t you go be with Eric for a while? I’ll take care of everything, as I should.”

Dani looked at Bright, making sure he was comfortable with the idea. Bright nodded to her, and Marcus retreated back to the dining room while Dani went upstairs. 

Bright leveled a considering gaze at Alexandre, the mention of Michael breaking their unspoken pact to talk around the current issue. Alexandre stared right back. “Why is Dani’s nickname Krysas? Rat doesn’t seem like a very affectionate term.”

Alexandre put down his glass, suddenly becoming more serious, “It wouldn’t to you. It doesn’t to almost anyone. That’s the point.” 

Leaning forward slightly, Alexandre’s energy shifted. Bright could feel himself being drawn in, intuitively ready to heed whatever Alexandre was about to say. It was the charisma he often associated with higher functioning sociopaths and narcissists. He recognized it and immediately began to distance himself mentally. Regardless, Bright was intrigued, wanting the story. 

“Ella had different considerations for navigating the chessboard of life at the outset. I see it often, playing out in her world.” Alexandre took a last sip of the whiskey, “Her mother is Roma. She told you this?” 

Bright nodded yes as Alexandre’s Russian accent became slightly more noticeable. _He’s not trying to manipulate me._

“The Roma have a complex relationship to the world. Often, they are outcasts. Now add the difficulties living in poverty, racism, of being a woman. There were particular dangers for her on the street as a female that weren’t an issue for the boys, for example. Eh,” Alexandre wobbled his head, correcting himself, “it wasn’t as consistent of an issue for the boys. Did you know her first partner, right out of the Academy, requested a new one the moment he realized he had been paired with a woman?” Alexandre sat back, a look of disgust on his face, “The utter fool. The good being partnered to Ella could have done for his career.” 

Bright noted the cause of his disgust. _He may not be a sociopath, but a –_

Alexandre cut off his thoughts, “Even to Chasen, she is simply a prize. An object. A fantasy he has built in his head. In many ways, Ella could have died as a child. Instead,” Alexandre’s face turned proud, his shoulders rolling back, chest lifting slightly, “She’s Ella. That’s the point of my nickname. That was the lesson I tried to teach her.” 

At Bright’s slightly confused gaze, Alexandre clarified further, “Many will not see her; who she really is. Ella’s apartment with her mother had rats. Most judged them harshly. But rats are extremely social and affectionate animals. They’ve been known to care for wounded members of their group, and are some of the most adaptable creatures on the planet. They are incredibly intelligent and profound survivors. They are worshipped as deities and found in the stars.” 

The true nature of Alexandre began peeking through, a feral tone emerging, “Ella is Krysas. Her worth must not be dictated by the world around her, not even her own mother. She must know in her bones who she is if she is to inherit what fate has in store for her.” 

Alexandre and Bright moved to stand at the same time. Reaching out, Alexandre shook his hand, “It was a pleasure Mr. Bright. It is unfortunate our discussion was cut short, but I will see you again soon.”

Bright nodded, watching as he left. 

As the door closed behind Alexandre, Bright’s gaze fell on Marcus. Leaning against the far wall, arms crossed, one leg over the ankle of the other, it was a posture of relaxed waiting. The same posture one would take waiting for a friend, all he was missing was a phone to flip through. Except for his face. 

Comments from the conversation with Alexandre came back to him. Comparing Marcus to a pet, saying it was better Marcus and Dani weren’t together, that potentially there was a better fit out there…

Deep inside Bright winced. He’d begun to like Marcus, and he was important to Dani. More than that though, he understood. He understood what it was like to be under the control of a narcissist, of a potential sociopath. He understood what it was to be humiliated, to have your worth questioned, to have it happen in front of someone you care about. He contributed to that for Marcus.

The look on Marcus face wasn’t hatred. It wasn’t even anger. It was calculating, set in stone. Eyes hooded, he simply stared directly into Bright’s, unblinking. The message was clear. Marcus was his own type of danger. The wolf smile he’d seen at the precinct unfurled across Marcus’ face. Tilting his chin towards the stairs, he simply said, “You should head upstairs to Ella. Careful tonight. She’s a light sleeper.” 

Bright nodded. Message received. 

He turned and headed up the stairs to where he was staying… with Dani. Bright swallowed hard. _Damn._


	17. Back to Reality

Bright gave Dani a closed mouth smile as he walked in. Her back was to him as she riffled through her overnight bag. Looking over her shoulder briefly, she otherwise didn’t acknowledge his presence. 

“Hey. Um, I think the cot will be better. I can weave my travel restraints through the metal.” 

A huffed laugh escaped Dani. She shook her head muttering, “Restraints,” under her breath, sorting through her bag with increased vigor. 

Bright shifted from his right foot to his left, anxiety welling up. Folding in on himself slightly, he began shuffling over to his bed for the night when Dani suddenly threw a shirt down on the covers angrily. 

Whirling around, her eyes glistened, “Is that what it’s like for you and your dad? What Alexandre made sure to do to Marcus down there?” She took a step towards Bright, “I know I didn’t catch all the innuendo and side talk, but I do know he tried his damnedest to remind Marcus who he belongs to. Does your dad do the same thing?”

Bright’s left hand began trembling violently, answering Dani’s question for him. 

Looking skyward, Dani bit her lip and sat down hard on the bed. 

She looked at Bright, her eyes darkening slightly with tears that never fell, “I wish I could make Alexandre and Dr. Whitly just disappear. You two shouldn’t have to go through this.” She gestured towards the cot, “You shouldn’t have to sleep in restraints for god’s sake, and Marcus shouldn’t have to –” Dani seemed to come to herself, cutting off whatever she was about to say. 

Bright closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, “Dani, you’re…you’re like the opposite of a sociopath.” 

Her face scrunched, “I kinda think that’s one of the nicest compliments I’ve ever received… also the weirdest.” 

Bright smiled sadly, “I owe Marcus an apology for not shutting that vein of conversation down.” 

“Yes and no. Marcus isn’t your friend. He didn’t expect you to defend him. It was bringing me into it that would’ve hurt,” Dani looked away, diligently folding clothes and reorganizing her bag yet again. 

Bright nodded at her back and turned to do the same, awkwardness hovering between them. Several minutes later something seemed to well up within her again and Bright saw her throw another shirt out of the corner of his eye. Filling his lungs with air, he looked over to see her staring at him, “Do you always go to visit Dr. Whitly alone?” 

Bright’s head jerked in a shallow nod. 

Dani’s eyebrows furrowed, “If you want, even if you have to go into the room alone, I’ll go with you from now on.” 

Electricity pulsed through Bright’s body, making him jerk backwards and sit hard on the cot. _No one’s ever offered. Just told me not to go._

At his reaction, Dani began second guessing herself, “Sorry, if that’s intrusive. I just… I meant what I said in the bathroom. I want in, if you still want in.” 

He wasn’t sure if he could speak. He attempted to clear his throat, wincing at the difficulty of it, “I do. Want in.” 

Dani’s anger seemed to melt. “Ok. Well, just let me know about visiting your – Dr. Whitly,” she corrected herself quickly. “I’m going to say goodnight to everyone. I’ll talk to Marcus. Like I said, he doesn’t expect anyone to look out for him but us.” 

_And I’m not part of the us… yet._ Bright smiled at her weakly yet reassuringly, “I’ll grab a shower if you don’t need the bathroom?” Dani shook her head no and headed out of the room. _Apologize to Marcus tomorrow._ Bright mentally coached himself around the anticipated awkwardness of the upcoming conversation. _If you want in, be in._

\---------------

The sunshine slotted through the trees as Malcolm ran. The buzz of cicadas came and went in waves of deafening roars. Thorns from the underbrush tore at his skin drawing blood, as rocks and branches scraped his skin. He paused, breathing heavily, looking around him frantically. He needed to be somewhere. 

Malcolm shook his head, his hair matted and bloodied, falling into his face. Looking around him, everything seemed peaceful. The sun streamed through the leaves of the trees; the forest evoking a sense of stillness. But he knew. 

Dread beat in time with his heart as another roar of cicadas crashed over him. _Predators. They mimic the sound of predators to protect themselves. They’re protecting themselves from something._

Turning in a circle, Malcolm tried to figure out which way to run. Towards something? Away from something? He needed to be…somewhere. Help someone. But the fear inside wasn’t the fear he normally felt, talking down a suspect. It was primal, the fear of the hunted. _Something’s coming._

He turned in a circle again, bringing his shaking hands to his head. Gasping, the urge to run welled up, adrenaline coursing through his veins. Picking a direction - any direction - he ran.

Legs pumping, a strangled scream worked its way up around the breathlessness. The world was melting. Like a fresh oil painting smeared by unseen hand, the greens, browns, grays, blacks, and yellows of the world started to melt and merge. 

Voids of color - of substance - began showing up where the colors of the world had melted away completely. The world around him was like a painting being destroyed. If he stopped, he would be destroyed as well. 

The cicadas were back, the thunder of their warning growing in tandem with the void. A gasped scream escaped him again, as he veered away from a melting tree. 

Suddenly, what was left of the melted world around him started to reform in lines of five. Almost like brushstrokes, the unseen hand was back. This time though, strokes recreated what previously had been destroyed. Malcolm continued to run, watching as the void slowly retreated behind the reshaped world. Finally, he trusted enough to slow, then eventually stop. 

He turned again in a circle. The forest was back to being peaceful; the cicadas silent. Staring up, he had to close his eyes against the brightness of the sun. _Brightness. It’s so bright._

“Bright.”

Blue eyes, confused with lingering fear, opened to see brown eyes, concerned and compassionate, hovering over him. 

It took a moment to realize it was Dani, her five fingers slowly brushing through his hair, scraping along his scalp. Talking softly and steadily, she was calling his name. 

“Bright. You’re ok. Wake up.” 

He blinked away the last of the confusion, simply staring into her eyes. 

Seeing he was fully awake, Dani’s hand fell away, a slight groan in protest emerging from Bright before he could stop it.

Pink flushed her face, “Um, my grandma used to wake us up from nightmares like that.” 

Bright popped the quick release of his restraints and tried to remove his mouth guard with some sort of dignity, “It’s effective. Thanks.” 

Dani gave him a shaky smile and turned to the doorway, where Eric stood rocking slightly, humming to himself in comfort. “See Eric; Bright’s fine like I said. Just a nightmare,” Dani comforted him softly, not yet moving away from the cot. 

Bright rolled over to his side. Realizing that put his head distractingly close to Dani’s, he shifted back slightly and tried to look behind him to the door, “Sorry to wake you Eric. I’m really ok.” 

Dani sat back on her heels, rubbing her hands on the top of her thighs decisively, “Well, Eric and I love comfort food for breakfast with a definite preference for pancakes, butter, and maple syrup. You know, carbs, fat, and now sugar. It’s a healthy stay at the safe house.” Dani smirked at Bright, “Breakfast?” 

Bright smiled slightly, memories of her fingers on his scalp lingering, “Breakfast.” 

\----------------------

Dani eyed whatever conversation was happening in the living room as she mixed the pancake batter. Bright had come down after getting ready for the day and quietly pulled Marcus to the side. Bright had mentioned owing Marcus an apology. She wasn’t sure he really did but given the profound awkwardness radiating from both men’s bodies, he was likely doing something of the sort. 

Apparently, having finished whatever that was, the men walked back towards the kitchen, both trying to play it off as though the conversation hadn’t affected them. Dani arched an eyebrow in question as Marcus grabbed a piece of bacon. He pretended not to see and moved on to help cook whatever needed finishing. She looked at Bright. He just looked right back, acting as though he didn’t sense the question lingering on her mind. Dani mentally shrugged; if they wanted it to be between them, so be it. Her stomach tensed slightly at the idea of Bright and Marcus having conversations without her present. At the same time, she had to admit she was a little impressed if Bright had in fact attempted some sort of understanding. 

Breakfast was informal as everyone ate lounging in the living room, relaxing before the seriousness of the case and last night’s conversation with Alexandre came roaring back. For a moment, much like with dinner, Dani could breathe. She’d had nightmares too. Quiet in their devastation, no one had heard or knew. Water, her father’s death, being trapped, being watched… The nightmares hadn’t had any real storyline she could remember, just fear and hurt and pain. Tiredness hovered over her, but these moments were helping greatly and she tried to savor it. Reality, though, kept intruding on her thoughts. 

As she glanced at the time, a sigh came unbidden causing Bright to look over. _I need to tell Eric what’s going on with Chasen._ She hated leaving her brother out of things. The world was constantly underestimating him, and she and Michael tried to never do the same. Eric could handle far more than people realized. They were a set, the three of them, bound together by blood and story. 

“Eric, I need to talk to you before I go. About Chasen. Maybe you and I can go upstairs and chat when you’re ready?” Eric didn’t respond, but his sketching paused for a second before returning to its purposeful movements. He’d heard and would let her know when he was ready. 

The others looked up at Dani’s words. Bright almost asked if Dani was sure it was a good idea, when he saw Jess give him a small warning look. He remembered Dani saying it had taken a long time for her and Michael to be ok with her father and grandma ‘interfering’ with Eric. It occurred to Bright that she’d respond even worse to him – someone with only hours of interactions with Eric - questioning her decisions. Bright quickly looked back down at his plate. 

After a minute or two, Eric put his sketch book away and walked upstairs. Dani looked at Marcus, “We’ll probably be ready to head to the precinct in an hour. It’s later than I expected. Can you call Gil and explain so he doesn’t worry?” Marcus nodded in agreement, as she followed her brother. 

\----------------

Dani walked up the steps with conflicted feelings. She hated she was about to upset Eric and then leave. But helping Eric process last night would have been too much on top of dealing with Alexandre. She peered around his simple yet functional bedroom. She and Eric normally only stayed a night, maybe two at any given moment. But with Chasen, they weren’t sure when it would be safe for Eric to go home. Stacks of books, sketching supplies, games to play with Jess, and several suitcases lined the walls in a neat and orderly fashion. It saddened her a bit. Eric valued his privacy and independence. Having him stay at a place with cameras, and potentially bugs, was necessary but unfortunate. Filling her lungs, she took a deep breath and sat on his bed. He took a seat next her and began rocking slightly, anticipating something difficult. Choosing her words carefully, Dani began explaining Chasen’s return. 

“Mean?” Eric asked. 

“Yes. It’s important we stay away from him, which is one of the reasons you’re staying here with Jess.”

Eric began pacing, remembering what that meant last time. He gestured towards his sister, a questioning look on his face.

“No, I’m not staying here. I need to help Gil stop him; Marcus is helping me. So is Bright.”

Eric shook his head, a sound of frustration coming from him. 

“I know. It’s not great,” Dani agreed. “But hopefully, this will be the last time Chasen will be around. We need to get him help. He never had someone like dad and grandma. He’s really confused. Mentally unstable.” 

“Michael?” 

Dani closed her eyes, sadness and regret for a life that could have been wrapping around her, “Michael can’t come home to help. It’s still not safe.” 

At that, Eric’s pain at missing his brother joined with his anger and fear about Chasen. Feeling his frustration well up, he dimmed the lights as Dani poured him a glass of cold water. Slowly, Dani walked Eric through what they had learned and what Chasen was doing. Just as beneficial for her, the intrusions, fears, and emotions played out within her as they worked it through together. She got to feel and respond as a sister - as herself - not as a detective or someone navigating the constant of Alexandre and Peter. Gil’s entreaty when Endicott was killed came to mind as she and Eric eventually settled back on the bed. Call your sponsor… As difficult as this was, as exhausted as she felt, these moments where she could be herself were just as beneficial in the long run as a call to her sponsor and she knew it.

Gil knew it too, which is why he always tried to be flexible when they did stay at the safe house. Still, she needed to go back to work. Knocking her forehead affectionately against her brother’s, she remarked, “I need to go help Gil. I’ll do everything I can to be safe. You and Jess need to stay here. Keep each other safe. Marcus will be in and out to make sure you two are ok. I might be back, but I’m not sure.”

Eric hummed and moved over to a big stack of sketching pads. Flipping through them, an urgent sound came from his chest and he handed one over to his sister. “I’ll help,” he said. 

Hesitantly, Dani took it and began flipping through. Sketches of animals, scenes from his residential house, and landscapes filled the pages. Getting towards the end, she felt the blood drain from her face. Her hands turned clammy and her body began to shiver from the sudden flow of adrenaline. Chasen’s face littered the last several pages. 

Dani swallowed around a closed throat, her stomach turning, “Eric, did Chasen come see you?” 

Eric shook his head no and handed her a small box of art supplies. She didn’t really know anything about art supplies, but she knew they weren’t the ones Eric normally preferred. She ran a finger over the pencils and examined the box. Indicators of being high quality – from the packaging to the texture of the pencil tips – were everywhere. _Chasen._

Dani cleared her throat, “He’s wearing a lab coat, other things in the pictures. Eric, did he talk to you or did you see him from far away?” 

Eric shook his head, “Far away. Dropped off.” 

Dani tried to take a cleansing breath as her hands began to shake, “He didn’t do anything mean to you? He didn’t talk to you?” 

Eric shook his head no. 

“Did you have to do anything special to get the art supplies?” 

Again, Eric shook his head no. 

“Do you remember when this happened?” Without a phone, Eric pointed to a calendar on the wall indicating two weeks ago. _I think that’s when Gil said the last picture in the album was taken too._

Dani tilted her head so her forehead gently knocked against her brother’s for a second time, “Love ya Bird Head.” 

Eric knocked his head back against hers, smiling softly. 

Clearing her throat again, she lifted the sketch pad and the pencils, “I’m going to take these to show Gil ok? I’ve got to go. It’s really important you don’t leave the safe house at all.” 

He nodded. Tired from the constant inflow of stimuli and his thoughts around Chasen, Eric settled in to sketch in the privacy of his room. Dani gently closed the door behind her.

Heading back down to where everyone else was waiting, she held up the pencils and sketch pad, “Well, it’s official. I’m going to kill Chasen.”

Bright lifted an eyebrow, and stepped forward to take the pad from her, “I know you’re probably joking but since I’ve only recently gotten cleared for murder…” Thumbing through the sketches, his head jerked up to look at Dani as he reached the end. Flipping the pad around so Marcus and Jess could see, the room filled with everyone’s questions and exclamations. 

Quickly relaying what Eric had told her, Dani took the sketch pad from Bright, “We’ve got to go back to the precinct now. This was a mistake we can exploit. Chasen should never have approached Eric’s residential house wearing things that may give us insight into his plans. Eric drew a ton of details that may be useful.”

She hesitated, looking at Marcus, “Given he went after Jess in the warehouse and gave these to Eric…” She trailed off, conflicted about what she was asking. 

Marcus gently squeezed Dani’s arm as he pulled out his phone, “I have a couple guys that I trust more than the others. I’ll have them positioned near the safe house just for some added security.”

She brushed her hand along his shoulder as she moved to grab her bag, “Thanks. Jess?”

“I’ll be careful I promise. Go kick his ass.” Turning to Bright she smiled, “I hope to see you soon Bright.” 

Bright smiled and nodded a bit awkwardly, “I hope so too. Outside of the whole danger thing, I’m enjoying getting to see Dani’s world a bit more.” 

Dani smiled a bit sheepishly, pink tinging her cheeks, “Come on.” 

\----------------- 

Gil leveled a considering gaze at Bright, “What did you think of the safe house?” 

Bright looked behind him, watching as JT and Dani left to go meet Peter out front. Marcus long since disappeared to do who knows what. Leaning back against the cabinets, Bright crossed his arms in thought, “The whole experience was incredibly odd. To a certain extent, it was like staying with a friend that lives out of town. We even had pancakes this morning. It was lovely really… which is weird. The juxtaposition of what the inside of the house is like…it’s atmosphere… how Dani and the others treat the space… verses the reality waiting outside its walls is… jarring.” 

Bright looked at Gil. The Lieutenant’s face betrayed nothing, his hand holding his Yankee’s mug as he leaned against the cabinets opposite Bright. While similar in posture, Gil’s eyes were sharp. Bright knew that look. _He wants to tell me about the deal between Peter and Alexandre but can’t. Why such secrecy? We know Marcus is a CI. He wouldn’t be able to do that without Alexandre’s permission. Why not just say, ‘Alexandre’s a CI too?’_

Bright uncrossed one of his hands, gesturing thoughtfully, “That’s the point though. The safe house is just that - a house that’s safe. Dani said it’s primarily used by them, the kids. Alexandre rarely shows up.” Bright’s stance remained relaxed but his eyes narrowed slightly, “Though it’s happened enough times the security ping elicited an ingrained response from Eric who can struggle with transitions…” 

Bright cocked his head thinking it through, “If Eric immediately responds and it’s not because of frequent exposure, then it’s likely due to exposure over time. So, they’ve been going to the safe house for a long time now. Nothing she’s said about her father would lead me to believe he’d tolerate her interacting with Alexandre. She started going after he died at some point. I also can’t imagine you signing off on it. She began going after her father’s death and before you came into her life. Dani’s a cop. She couldn’t keep going to a safe house where criminals are present without someone in the police department knowing and signing off. Peter and Alexandre set up the safe house.”

Gil took a sip of coffee to cover a smile. Bright took that as a good sign and continued on, “She also obviously goes frequently enough it has the feel of… well, maybe not a second home, but a comfortable space that’s theirs. Which doesn’t make any sense if it’s truly under Alexandre’s control. Unless there are rules that limit Alexandre’s frequency and interference. Much like the rule ‘no business ever’, which I doubt would be Peter or Alexandre’s decision. Dani or another person created the rules and Dani is at least semi-confident Alexandre would abide by them. Almost like there’s a formal agreement in place…” Bright trailed off, his lips quirking up on one side as he rested his index finger against his lips in a posture of deliberation. 

Gil smiled, appeased Bright was on the right track, “Well, I’m glad to hear you’ve eaten two whole meals in a row. Time for reality kid.” Gil tilted his chin over towards the bullpen. Bright twisted to look behind him. Peter, JT, and Dani were headed to the conference room. Time to get back to chasing Keller. 

Gil held out his hand slightly, pausing Bright. Glancing over Bright’s shoulder, Gil tried to anticipate how long he had before the others arrived, “Remember what I said in the hospital room when you overheard my conversation with Dani? Ultimately, Dani needs a friend not a profiler. Don’t confuse the two as you piece this together.” 

The door to the conference room opened, cutting off any response Bright may have had. Regardless, he gave Gil a minute nod in agreement. 

Gil looked around the room as everyone settled in, “Ok, let’s get to work.


	18. The Importance of Cutting off Avenues

Peter passed around an FBI file for everyone to look through as he began his briefing, “The code Bright saw fits the first 9 characters of an account linked to a dark web auction house. Technically, the auction house’s accounts are 12 characters but it’s a likely match, especially given Alexandre’s used the auction house before to move goods. Of particular interest is some chatter the FBI has been picking up. The same auction house is expected to hold a large auction soon.” He waved his hand, “No confirmation on date but parties believed to be attending online specialize in chemical trafficking. They control several air routes throughout South America focused on precursor chemicals for illicit drugs.”

JT followed up, “I spoke to the Dean of the university. The professor targeted when Dani was a kid is named Professor Thomas Garcia. He specializes in Parkinson’s research. He’s been working on a drug that targets the dopamine pathways,” JT checked his notes, “that impact motor control. However --”

“Dopamine also plays a major role in the brain’s reward center,” Bright finished for JT, “Many addictive drugs target dopamine pathways.” 

“Exactly,” Peter handed out a second file. “I had my task force follow up. Given the university angle, the analysts checked for rumors related to new drugs or compounds worth Alexandre’s, and thus Chasen’s, attention. Sure enough,” Peter tapped his fist gently against the table, “elements of cutting-edge research have slowly leaked onto the black market for years. It’s never been enough for anyone to steal the full formula; however, it has been enough for different drug trafficking groups to improve their own formulas.”

“Huh. That’s brilliant.” 

Everyone turned to look at Bright. He smiled, one arm wrapped around himself, as the other cupped his chin thoughtfully. Bright waved one hand as though it was evident, “That’s brilliant. Alexandre has been stealing and slowly selling elements of the research through the black market for decades. If he stole it outright, the research would have ended and he’d only get a one-time payout. This way, the research has matured and he’s been milking that particular cow for years.”

He looked thoughtfully at Dani, “You probably gave him the idea. When you only stole the rabbits, he was forced to sell only a small portion of the research. He probably expected a significant loss but instead received only a minimal loss.” Bright started pacing, hands gesturing as he put pieces together in his mind, “Life’s a chess game to Alexandre. He’s good at long-term, strategic thinking. He likely did the calculations. He may take a short-term, mild financial loss, but if he allowed the research to go on and only stole enough to keep the market hot…”

Bright trailed off as Gil finished his sentence, “He could make a lot more money over time. A consistent flow of money.”

Bright tilted his head in recognition of Alexandre’s brilliance, “It’s a great business move.” He sighed a little resigned, “It also calls my profile into question.” Bright’s mouth tilted into a slight frown, “Well, mildly into question.” 

“How so?” 

Bright looked over at Dani’s question. Perched on the table, her brow furrowed, “He’s not a sociopath?” Dani’s voice held a small note of incredulousness. 

Bright wobbled his head, and held out a placating hand, “Not exactly. In psychology, there is something called the dark triad. It’s comprised of three personality traits: narcissism, psychopathy, and something called Machiavellianism. Technically, they are distinct traits but they do largely overlap. To what extent impacts the profile.” 

“Machiavellianism. Like the author of The Prince?” Gil asked.

“Yes. Similar to what Machiavelli suggested in his treatise, in Machiavellianism, the individual has a pathological orientation to manipulate, deceive, act callously, and amoral for their own benefit. This goes beyond just being ambitious. These individuals have their entire world centered around manipulation for their own gain. Psychopaths tend more towards impulsivity and enduring, profound antisocial behavior. As I said though, usually a person high on one of the dark triad traits is also high on the other two as well. It’s more a question of which trait tends to drive behavior more.”

Bright looked at Dani, “Alexandre has shown a pretty high level of impulse control. He’s sociopathic; it’s just that he’s probably higher on the Machiavellianism spectrum.” He shook his head dismissively, “I’d only know if I could test him, which I can’t, but it does help contextualize some of his behavior and statements.” 

“Like that he’s not violent,” Peter stated.

“He’s been feeding drug information to traffickers for decades ruining thousands of lives and communities. That’s just a different kind of violence. Not to mention the ten-year-old boy he basically kidnapped,” Dani’s voice was flat, hard, as she avoided Peter’s gaze. 

“He’s been useful though,” Peter’s tone was mild but pointed, as he leveled a rebuking stare at Dani, “To all of us at different points when needed.”

A microscopic flinch rippled across Dani’s face, easily overlooked if Bright hadn’t been looking for it. Gil, on the other hand, had a much more overt reaction. Face hardened yet professional, Gil stood straight backed, an air of warning around him. Looking directly at Peter but speaking to Bright, Gil asked, “Bright, anymore profile updates?” 

“Alexandre is a romantic. The emphasis on your nickname, Dani, is a good example of that. I think Chasen absorbed some of that romantism. In his call, he used the word courting to describe his interactions with you… the dresses he chose, even to a certain extent the water in the box - very Edgar Allen Poe. Chasen is also having psychotic episodes. This makes him extremely dangerous.”

“That the same as the psychopathy you mentioned as part of the dark triad?” Peter asked curious. 

Bright looked over at him, “No. Psychopathy is a personality trait where the person is largely unable to feel emotional empathy for others. They can be reckless, impulsive, definitely anti-social, and usually violent but not always. Psychosis, on the other hand, is literally a person losing their grip on reality. Instead of being a personality trait, it’s a medical symptom. Usually there is a different issue driving the psychosis, like schizophrenia, drugs, Alzheimer’s, prolonged insomnia, trauma…” Bright trailed off getting a little self-conscious. He felt the need to add, “It doesn’t equate to violence or anti-social behavior.” 

Bright cleared his throat and shifted back to the profile, “For Chasen, however, his psychosis is feeding the obsession he has with Dani and is making him more willing to act violently. But he’s conflicted. He also wants you all to be safe. He gave Eric a present with no seemingly ulterior motive.” Bright gestured to the drawings and pencils in the middle of the table, “He sent a box to Ainsley’s hospital. When I asked him why, all he said was that I better be nice to you all. I think it was a warning. If I’m not nice to his family, he won’t be nice to mine.”

“Chasen’s obsession is just going to grow. Right now, there is still a logical part of his brain functioning. He’s planning a case, he’s orchestrating an online auction, he’s evading capture… That side will dwindle, and the more he falls into psychosis, the more dangerous and unpredictable he’s going to get. It’s likely whatever Chasen has planned will purposefully create chaos. We can expect more games. Chasen mentioned on the phone that he was going to ‘save all the animals.’ Does the research still use any animals?” 

“The university used to but shut that avenue down due to student protests,” JT supplied. “Any new details from the pictures your brother drew?” 

“He’s wearing a lab coat but no name tags or insignias. Eric did draw one picture that may be of use. Eric saw Chasen from a window on the second floor of the home, so he was looking down. Chasen had a briefcase with him that he opened it to get out the present. Eric saw portions of the interior and drew it,” Dani flipped to the appropriate picture. 

The picture showed the back of Chasen’s head as he leaned over the open case. One hand was on the briefcase’s lid, keeping it open, while the other grabbed the wrapped gift. Because of the angle and his arms, most of the case was obscured; however, Eric did sketch multiple files within the case. One of which had a confidentiality stamp with a logo. They all recognized the stamp but not the logo. They’d seen it many times on the files the prosecutor’s office would send over. Bright had also seen it on a couple of the files Eve had when he picked her up at work once.

“So Chasen is interacting with some sort of law office,” JT intoned, “The logo isn’t clear enough to get a name but maybe some of our guys can take the drawing and narrow down likely candidates.”

Gil nodded to JT, “Both the present and the last surveillance photo was taken two weeks ago. See if anything happened with the university around that time.” 

JT nodded and walked out while Gil scanned the room, “Peter?” 

Peter nodded immediately, understanding Gil’s question, “I’ll go see if my guys have any updates on the auction house and drug. I’ll coordinate with JT on the logo in the picture. Maybe we have something in the federal databases that will help.”

“Thanks. Bright, Dani, go through old case files from the last time Chasen was in town see if there are any legal angles we can glean. Same with the drugs. Let’s reconvene after lunch.” 

\---------------------------------

Dani arched her back, spine popping, taking a moment to enjoy the stretch. They’d been going through old files diligently for a couple of hours now. She peered out at the bullpen from the conference room. JT was sitting at his desk, rolling the kinks out of his neck as he coordinated with different offices and sorted through potential law firms. Peter had dropped his stuff down at an empty desk next to him, diligently culling through reports and intel from his analysts at the FBI. _This is the part of being cop no one talks about when they’re recruiting you. Leg work, paperwork, and calling around._

She looked over to where Bright was sorting through stacks of old case files. He was jotting notes down on a small pad of paper. She looked at her pad, almost nothing, “Found something?” 

Bright sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, “Kind of. Nothing about a law firm.” He lifted the pad up then dropped it back on the table with a thud, “Just notes that may help with filling out the profile a bit more.” 

“Anything insightful?” 

Bright smiled a bit ruefully, “No. Seeing some new things now that I have more context. But they aren’t necessarily enough to cite a pattern, and you build profiles off patterns.” 

“I thought it was hypotheses and gut instinct?” Dani teased.

“Depends on the professor at Quantico,” Bright’s smile never wavered even as his eyes took Dani in. They were both tired, but Dani more so. Her eyes were sharp, but the skin beneath darker than normal. There were also small abrasions on her neck and a few on her face from the warehouse. Every once in a while, he got glimpses of more, though her jeans and long sleeves covered most up. She was moving stiffly and seemed unable to get comfortable. _This has to be building up._

“Dani?” Bright swallowed slightly as Dani looked up from the old case file she was sorting through, “After this is done, do you want to get tea and maybe dinner and talk?” A sweep of nervous energy suddenly flowed through is body. He hesitated, his eyes skimming the area around her, unable to look at her directly, “Or just decompress… or something?” He hesitated again, voice trailing off weakly, “I’m just… here.” 

A small smile played on her lips as her eyes softened slightly. Abruptly, the conference room door slammed open startling them both and cutting off Dani’s reply. JT smiled widely and waved a note pad in the air. “I think I got it,” He exclaimed proudly. Peter followed closely behind him. 

Instantly, Dani and Bright’s energy shifted to match JT’s. Dani turned and waved, getting Gil’s attention as he sat behind his desk. 

Once they were all gathered, JT smiled widely and began to explain, “The research is partially funded by the National Institute of Health. The university is using the NIH as a go-between for some partnerships with private labs. Those aren’t public knowledge. I would never had found it if one of Peter’s analysts hadn’t called in a few favors to help me track the federal funding,” He nodded a thanks to Peter who just smiled back. 

“Ok, that’s great. Why the excitement?” Gil asked.

“Because one of the private labs does conduct animal research, and they had a worker go missing two weeks ago. Guess which study the missing lab technician was assigned too?” JT held up his notes again like a sign, while excitement rippled throughout the room. 

“JT, you and Peter go check it out.” 

Immediate protests erupted from Dani and Bright at Gil’s dictate. Gil waved them off, “I don’t want to hear it. Both of you are currently targets of Keller.” 

“That’s why we should go,” Dani argued, ignoring Gil’s disbelief. “Bright’s good at puzzles and no one knows Chasen like me. We don’t even know if he’ll be there and, if he is, my presence may throw him off.”

Peter tilted his head in acknowledgement and looked at Gil, “It’s your team - your call - but she does have a point.”

Gil ran a hand over his goatee, “Fine. All four of you go. Put on vests and be careful.” 

As the team headed out of the conference room to grab equipment, JT casually touched Bright’s arm. Raising his eyebrows, he subtly signaled for Bright to slow down. Peter, Dani, and Gil continued on to the armory discussing possible avenues for further federal pressure on the university, NIH, and the research lab should it be warranted. JT and Bright began lagging behind until they knew they wouldn’t be overheard. 

Bright raised an eyebrow, and looked at JT, intrigued by the secrecy, “What did you find?” 

JT’s face hardened slightly, “I’m sick of all the double talk and secrecy. Not knowing what’s going on with my partner.” He looked at Bright through the corner of his eyes, “I know you like games but the fact that Dani and Gil aren’t giving us all the info must be driving you nuts.” 

Bright continued walking in step with JT, his face carefully masked in case Gil or Dani looked back, “I’m not happy about it, but I get the feeling they both want us to know and can’t tell us directly.” 

JT’s mouth thinned into an annoyed line, “Yep. I have a buddy at NYPD headquarters that develops legends for undercover ops, including counter-terrorism operations. Has spook type clearances. I know Gil’s used him in the past so I took a chance. Asked him to look into anything with Marcus as a CI and let me know if he saw anything weird.” 

JT paused in his steps, turning to Bright, wanting his point across, “All Juan could find was a barebones CI profile page confirming Marcus’ identity as a CI. No case files. While not unheard of, that’s pretty unusual. There was also a code for another CI. Usually means the two CIs work together.” 

“Alexandre,” Bright nodded in understanding. 

“Yes, but when Juan went to make sure, he was blocked. The account was not only classified but under a special access program. Even with all the accesses Juan has, he couldn’t get in. He couldn’t find any direct reference to Alexandre Kuznetsov… Anywhere. Juan also thinks any actual case files associated with either Marcus or Alexandre are in the special access program too.”

Bright furrowed his brows, “Yet Gil told us he’s suspected of over 20 white collar crimes.” 

JT barred his teeth, “Alexandre is obviously a CI, but he should still be in the classified systems. Any information about him or Marcus or the cases they impact are only accessible only to an exceptionally few people.”

Bright nodded thoughtfully, “Which is why Gil and Dani can’t just tell us what’s going on. They’d be breaking the law.” 

“I can’t imagine Alexandre being a spy?” JT looked at Bright more for confirmation than in question.

Bright shook his head slightly, “No. Wouldn’t fit the profile.” 

JT’s eyes narrowed, “I don’t like this. We’re going into tactical situations. We don’t have all the information. Dani’s life is on the line, and someone somewhere hamstringed Gil and Dani to limit the number of people –” 

“Allies,” Bright interjected, cutting off JT, “They didn’t just limit the number of people who can know about what is happening. They cut off the ability for Gil and Dani to get allies for countering whatever deal Alexandre and Peter struck.” 

JT rocked back on his heels a bit, no longer caring to keep up the pretense that he and Bright were following the others. “So, you think so too,” JT asked rhetorically, “Peter is somehow in league with Alexandre?” 

Bright nodded, impressed, “Yes. How’d you figure that out?” 

JT gave Bright a look, unimpressed that Bright was impressed, “Bro, Gil would never put up with this shit if someone wasn’t making him, and he wouldn’t allow a criminal to dictate anything. He’d be willing to lose his job first. Internal NYPD maneuvering though? By a decorated detective at one point, then the lead of an esteemed FBI task force? That could get him to accommodate. Particularly, if he thought Dani would be left wide open if he didn’t. He’s protecting her.” JT tilted his head a bit, “Must be driving Dani nuts.” 

Bright smiled slightly, “JT this is huge insight. So, what we know, or at least suspect, is that at some point between Charles Powell’s death and Gil becoming Dani’s boss, Peter came in contact with Alexandre. They struck up a deal. Peter was able to the details all classified which greatly hurt Dani’s ability to get help.” Bright’s voice held a tinge of pride, “But Gil was able to force his way in once he met Dani.”

“Bet Alexandre or Peter didn’t count on that,” JT smirked. 

Bright’s eyes gleamed, “Whatever the specifics of the deal, I think the safe house was Dani or Gil’s idea with strict rules around its usage. We don’t know what Alexandre is getting out of all this yet. However, after the deal and his partner’s death, Peter’s career skyrocketed.” Bright couldn’t help but ask, “Was there anything suspicious about Charles’ death?” 

JT shook his head in the negative, “No, first thing I looked at when Juan told me the classification levels involved. Edrisa quietly pulled his autopsy report. Heart attack from blocked arteries. Nothing suspicious.” 

A wave of relief swept through Bright. That, on top of everything, would have been devastating for Dani. He lifted his chin towards the direction of the armory, and they began walking again, “Let’s keep each other updated. Is Peter trying to ditch you at all?”

“Nope. Peter really wants to catch Keller. I think he’s actually worried about Dani.” 

Bright nodded, “It’s amazing what people can rationalize. He likely sold Dani out but told himself it was for her own good.”

An angry scoff escaped JT’s chest. 

Bright’s eyes hardened, “Agreed.”


	19. And Now We Go, Down the Rabbit Hole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this may be around 25 or 26 chapters. Don’t quote me on it though (hence the “?”). If writing this story has taught me anything, it’s that I’m really bad at estimating how many of my ideas will comprise a chapter. 😊

The team walked into GenTechLabs prepared for stonewalling only to find the Director of Research waiting for them. Peter strode forward and shook the offered hand, “Dr. Stone?” 

Dr. Stone smiled grimly, “Yes. Agent Johnson?”

“Yes, and these are my colleagues at the NYPD: Detective Powell, Detective Tarmel, and Malcolm Bright, consultant with the NYPD.” 

Dr. Stone welcomed them with a curt nod, “I wanted to greet you personally. If you come with me, we set up a conference room for interviews. I’ve instructed our people to get you four building passes and access to any file having to do with the study in question.” 

JT and Dani glanced at each other in shock. 

“That’s extremely helpful Dr. Stone,” Bright said echoing their surprise. 

Dr. Stone glanced at Bright evenly, “We partner with both the NIH and the DoD. While the Parkinson’s research isn’t classified, this facility is cleared and has classified projects. Concerns about the safety and integrity of our people, or potential threats, aren’t taken lightly. It’s in our best interest that this is figured out as soon as possible and as accurately as possible. To that end,” Dr. Stone gestured to a man standing outside an empty conference room, “This is my Head of Security. I’ll leave you in his capable hands. Please let me know if you need anything.” 

The man nodded in greeting and passed each of them an access badge, “Kevin Greggory. Welcome. Agent Johnson let me know a little about your concerns over the phone. I’ve pulled the staff file on our missing technician, Keith Stone.” At their looks, Kevin shook his head in the negative, “No relation to the Director. I’ve also prepared a threat briefing. We’ve had issues with protesters and some more extreme animal rights groups, on top of the normal insider threat and industrial espionage concerns.” Kevin gestured into the conference room, “Would you like to start there or somewhere else?” 

Peter glanced at the team, “I think the threat briefing. Your team received the file on Chasen Keller?” 

“Yes. We’re working with one of your cyber agents to cull through our feeds for facial recognition.” 

“Wonderful,” Peter sat at the table as the others joined him.

JT leaned over towards Dani, “I could get used to this.” 

Dani pursed her lips and nodded slightly, “Crazy helpful.” 

“Too helpful?” JT whispered back. 

Dani lifted her shoulders in a miniscule shrug, “No idea, I’ve never investigated a cleared facility before.” She turned to Bright and asked quietly, “Have you?” 

Bright nodded just as subtly, while Peter and Kevin set up for their respective briefings, “If they’re cleared, then yes. This wouldn’t be unusual. What will be more telling is if they start playing the ‘classified card’ when we start digging into the details.” 

All four took notes as Kevin completed the threat briefing. GenTechLabs had some highly valuable DoD contracts, kept in a separate part of the facility with the most robust security measures. The DoD research showed no indicators of industrial espionage and the subject matter wasn’t widely known. As a result, the protests and animal rights groups focused more on their medical research. Kevin caveated the threat, “While the threats are credible, they are also routine and we’ve never had any actual events. Still, we upgraded our security measures about a year ago throughout the facility. Our procedures for a lock down in the event of an active attack was signed off on by the military. The Parkinson’s research study has been under scrutiny several times throughout the years due to leaks of information. No leads ever manifested and no arrests made.” 

_Alexandre._ “What’s your relationship with the university? We know the partnership is formally through the NIH, but how do you all interact on a day-to-day basis?” Dani asked. 

“The publications and results are claimed by the University, but the funding is shared, as is any profit stemming from commercialization.”

“Odd to let others claim credit,” JT noted. 

Kevin shook his head in the negative, “I thought the same thing when I came here, but it’s actually quite common in this industry. We receive funding and profit shares, so we have an incentive; however, given the nature of our DoD work, we worry about our reputation only within certain circles rather than the public.” He continued on, “Daily work is completed by our full-time staff. However, some professors are cleared for accessing the building. Professor Garcia is lead of the Parkinson’s study and comes in about once a week to work with the lab technicians…which leads us to Keith Stone.” 

Kevin passed out a second set of folders, “Keith Stone was a junior lab technician assigned to the Parkinson’s study. He was newer, but passed a full background check and obtained a Secret clearance.”

“Why a Secret clearance if the study isn’t classified?” Bright interjected. 

“Some of the areas of the building contain both classified and unclassified materials. They’re support areas largely: file shredding, medical waste disposal, the server room, etc. Even if the staff aren’t working classified projects, they are still required to get and maintain a security clearance for ease of walking through the building.” 

“Makes sense. FBI is the same way,” Bright concluded signaling Kevin to continue. 

“Keith had no complaints against him. In fact, Professor Garcia requested Keith be moved onto the study full time several months ago. Keith agreed and was now the primary lab technician for the study.”

“What were his duties?”

“Everything from conducting the actual research procedures, to cleaning and analyzing data, to getting rid of the medical waste. From all our indicators, Keith Stone was a model employee. Then he just suddenly stopped coming in. We don’t actually have him swiping his badge to exit the facility. He could have simply walked out while someone else held the door. We ask them not to do that but it happens all the time in the unclassified areas. A search of the building turned up nothing.”

At that, Bright’s eyes lit up with a thought, “When you say procedures, does that include the dissection of animals?”

“Yes.” 

Bright leaned forward in his seat, “Rabbits?” 

“No, it’s illegal to use rabbits now. The study uses…” Kevin scanned his notes, “rats. Keith would be in charge of giving the rats the experimental drug then cataloguing their responses through any number of mechanisms, including dissection.”

Bright smiled with glee, “And does the medical waste disposal area include an incinerator?” 

Dani held her breath, realizing where Bright was going with this, as Kevin responded, “Yes, the incinerator is used to dispose of the carcasses.” 

Bright scanned the room, “We need to get Edrisa here.” 

\----------------------------------

“Well, this is going to take a while,” Edrisa’s head popped out of the large incinerator door. Covered in a hazmat suit now speckled with ash, her glasses fell slightly askew, “This is very cool. There are bones everywhere of all different kinds.” Edrisa crawled out of the space; JT and Bright moving forward to help.

“Sorting and cataloging all the remains will take time; however,” Edrisa proudly held up a hand clutching a small bone, “I’m almost positive this is a human metacarpal… unless they are illegally using apes.” 

A slam echoed through the room as the entrance door flew open. Kevin stalked towards the NYPD team furiously, causing Edrisa to step slightly behind JT. Walking past them to a computer used for inventory, he motioned for the group to huddle around. 

“My security guys are done reviewing the tapes. They found this,” Kevin inserted a thumb drive and opened the video files. Chasen, dressed in a lab coat and with a security badge, walked down a hallway. Another man in a lab coat walked about ten feet in front of him pushing a covered cart. Kevin stated the obvious, “That’s Keith.” 

Next, Kevin opened another video file, this one showing the feed from their current location - the medical disposal room. The feed flickered for a moment, then never changed. Keith and Chasen, who, according to the first video, were walking directly into the room, never appeared on screen.

“He looped the feed,” Peter observed. 

Bright nodded thoughtfully, “We know Chasen has hacked several cameras already to watch us. This is within his skillset.” He scanned the medical disposal room, “The equipment here could be dual use. It’s here to get rid of things but, honestly, everything needed to kill someone, drain their blood, clean it up, and get rid of the body is also here. An all-in-one stop shop.”

JT gave him a look, “Do we want to know how you know that from a glance?” 

“Do you know Keith’s blood type?” Edrisa piped up, ignoring JT. 

Kevin nodded, “Yes, it’ll be in his personnel file.” 

“We’ll need DNA matches to tell us if the bones and the blood from the first scene are the same, but if you get me the blood type, I can at least tell you if it’s a preliminary match.” 

“Can you go back to the hallway?” Bright asked. Once replaying, Bright asked to zoom in on Chasen’s face. It was twisted with anger. “What’s in the cart Keith is pushing? Do we know?” 

Kevin’s lips flattened, “It’s a medical waste cart. According to the logs, he’d finished some rat dissections.” 

“Rats. Krysas. He saw Keith kill a kysas and it triggered a psychotic break,” Bright murmured. 

“Krysas?” Kevin and Edrisa asked simultaneously. Dani took a shaky breath, eyes glued to Keith’s face.

Bright licked his lips, eyes darting towards Dani and back to the feed, “Doesn’t matter.”

Peter put a steading hand on Dani’s back, causing Bright to wonder if JT was considering slamming Peter into the wall for touching her. Dani simply straightened her spine and lifted her chin. She turned to the medical examiner, “Edrisa, widen the search to the entire room. We’ll want the lab processed as well.” She turned to Kevin, “If your people have security clearances, then their fingerprints will be on file. We’ll need them to rule out the prints we find.” She turned to the rest of the team, “Let’s start interviewing witnesses. Maybe they’ll know something about how Keller got his badge.” 

All business, Dani stalked out of the room, the others close behind. 

\-----------------------------

The interviews were well on their way to demonstrating the absolute normality of Keith and his work. Dani could feel exasperation playing at the edges of her mind, the ache in her jaw a forewarning that a stress headache would likely follow. She excused one employee as the team prepared for the next, counting slowly to ten as Bright asked for the fifth time if anyone needed tea and JT tried to subtly hover. She closed her eyes as Peter touched her shoulder to pass a file… again. Their attempts at hiding their concern grated on her just as much as if they had been more overt. 

She was young for a Major Crimes slot. She knew it and knew about the whispers spread by some of the more resentful detectives not selected to work with Gil. Some claimed nepotism, citing her dead father. Others claimed Affirmative Action, while a small few spread more illicit rumors, particularly after it came out she was in recovery. Apparently, she was sleeping with both Gil and the Captain… _As if my love life is that exciting._ Dani cleared her throat over an inappropriate snort, shooting Bright a particularly meaningful side-eye when he started bringing up tea again. He quickly went back to jotting down notes. 

There had been one rumor that was particularly nasty. Dani didn’t actually know what it was, but she did know JT overheard and slammed Alverez into the lockers at the gym. Alverez now avoided their team like the plague. Dani cocked her head. _Now that I think of it, Bright’s commented on it. I wonder if he thinks it’s because of him? I should tell him why at some point._

Gil had always seen her though. JT too. Bright never dismissed her. Ironically, in his own way, Peter had been the most confident in her abilities. _He just used it to his own advantage._ Dani had worked her ass off to manage the crazy Peter brought into her life and still prove she could make detective on her own merits. Now she was one of the youngest detectives to ever make Major Crimes. _Sure, when everyone else was on Tinder and having fun, I was working double shifts but…_

A flash of frustration transformed into highly inappropriate laughter – bubbling out of her before she could stop it. She eyed JT over the giggles as he attempted to awkwardly be both comforting and not show any emotion. “Oh my god guys. Stop,” She scanned her team, quelling the laugh by biting her lip, “I’m fine. I don’t want tea. I’m not going to fall apart. I’m fine. I can handle this.”

Peter’s eyes twinkled, reminding Dani of when he was just Uncle Peter, “Have you considered we’re the ones that can’t handle it?” 

Warmth flooded Dani for just a moment, memories welling up. Memories of when Uncle Peter taught them the words to Christmas carols for the first time, and then the silly versions when her grandma wasn’t listening. Or the time he insisted on renting a car to drive all five of them to a farm with a Halloween festival. It had been the first time she and her brothers had ever celebrated the holiday and the first time they had ever been outside the city. How he’d search high and low – often all night – with her father whenever they’d run away. He had helped save them all. He had risked them all. She never quite knew how to trust him ever again… or let him go. 

She smiled, matching his twinkle and ignoring the look JT and Bright gave each other. If there was anything she had learned so far, it was people were never simple and your judgement should be leveled with nuance. “Point taken,” she responded, “If you three need to go outside and collect yourself, I’ll give you a minute.” 

Peter laughed, while JT glowered and Bright raised his hand to stroke his chin, covering a smile. She raised an eyebrow, “Next employee is –”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Kevin knocked briefly on the door, cutting in front of their next interviewee. The Head of Security looked grave, “Your ME is being escorted up here to see you, and there is someone here you need to talk to.” He turned his body to introduce a woman who was standing behind him. Her suit and demeanor screaming the formality of a lawyer. _Bright warned us they may play the classified card._ Dani glanced at Bright as he shifted to stand next to her, the look of resignation on his face telling her he was thinking the same thing. A lawyer was here to tell them to stop. 

“This is Ms. Marshall. She is Director of our Ethics Team. I’m not privy to any conversations around ethics complaints, as Ms. Marshall can explain. She’s requesting your time.” 

An undercurrent of energy flittered around the room. “Of course. Ms. Marshall, please come in,” Bright gestured to the table, smiling formally, his posture shifting to match the lawyer’s. 

Ms. Marshall nodded her thanks to the Kevin as he left. Waiting until the door was firmly shut, she immediately launched into her purpose, voice clipped and to the point, “I run the ethics team here at GenTechLabs. Technically, we are an independent law firm that consults with the company.” 

At that, JT and Dani glanced at each other. Ms. Marshall continued on, “Any employee who has concerns about a study can submit a request for an ethics inquiry. Neither Dr. Stone nor Mr. Greggory or any other leadership within GenTechLabs is informed. My office does an initial evaluation of the issue. If we deem that there are concerns, we elevate to a formal inquiry.” 

Ms. Marshall passed out a small folder, “Mr. Keith Stone submitted a request for an ethics inquiry one month ago. He was concerned the drug he was assisting with could be highly addictive if manipulated with over-the-counter additives.” 

“Like Meth,” Peter stated. 

Ms. Marshall nodded, “Yes, he made that connection in his request for an investigation. He had mentioned his concerns to Professor Garcia; however, the professor was not as proactive as Mr. Stone would have liked in informing the NIH of the potential issue.” 

“Did anything come of it?” Bright asked.

“Enough of a concern was raised by our initial evaluation that we wanted an external scientist to evaluate the risk. My law firm employed him as a consultant. He concluded the study wasn’t a concern…” Ms. Marshall’s voice trailed off, her posture tensing even more, “Mr. Greggory sent a picture of your suspect to all department heads in preparation for speaking with you. He—” Ms. Marshall cleared her throat, shifting slightly in her seat, “The scientist we employed to do the evaluation is the same man.” 

Excited built in Dani’s chest, pings of electricity tensing her muscles. The entire team leaned towards Ms. Marshall, who swallowed hard in reaction, “An addictive drug is a major concern; not providing a medical breakthrough to those suffering from Parkinson’s is also a major concern. We deal in ethics and law, not simple answers. Our consultant was allowed to examine our materials in the building but was not allowed to leave with anything. Still…” Ms. Marshall’s eyes turned bleak, “he is allowed full access to any area where the study’s materials are located at any given time to provide full transparency for the inquiry.” 

“Is the investigation still occurring?” 

Ms. Marshall looked at Bright, “We were in the process of closing it. Dr. Stone and Mr. Greggory are normally informed that an ethics inquiry has been completed only once fully closed and adjudicated. We would have told them in about a week. Obviously, we need to keep it open. That’s also why I am here. I wanted… Our firm wants to make this right. If someone has successfully manipulated our processes for nefarious purposes, we need to understand how and prevent future occurrences.”

Peter nodded agreeably, “We can put you in touch with the Prosecutor’s office for coordination once our investigation is complete. In the meantime, we need everything you have on both the study, Keith Stone, and the consultant.”

Ms. Marshall nodded and started to stand, “I’ll have people start preparing the documents so they are ready the moment we receive the warrant.” 

_Lawyers. Even when they want to help, they require paperwork._ Dani sighed and watched Ms. Marshall leave, Edrisa’s excited face coming into view. 

The medical examiner rushed in, hands open wide, “Guess what we found?” Unable to wait, she rocked back and forth on her heels, “Absolutely nothing!”

“Huh?” JT ask, face screwed up in question.

“Wait… Nothing?” Bright’s eyes widened as the implications clicked. 

Edrisa smiled at him, thankful he was keeping up with her, “Yes, a room used for medical waste should be absolutely covered in forensic evidence. Though there are some recent contaminants,” Edrisa waved her hand dismissively, “the room is comparatively immaculate. Someone did a very deep cleaning. Even Bob is impressed.” At their looks she added, “Bob. You know. Bob. On my team.” 

Dani tried to keep a level head despite the excitement building inside her, “Does the Lab do any sort of routine cleaning that would involve this level of decontamination?” 

Edrisa smiled, “Yes, once a month. Given the two-week window from when Keith disappeared and the cleaning schedule, the room should be a disaster. And, here’s the best part, Keith’s blood type is a match to the blood found around the fake body.” Edrisa gave Dani a small, comforting look. 

Dani smiled slightly in reaction. She and Edrisa had never been close, but they did make a point to try and have each other’s backs in their own way. 

Edrisa continued on, “I have my people systematically sorting through the incinerator and processing the room, but I wanted to let you know how suspiciously clean it’s turning out to be. I also took a look at the equipment list. Bright was right!” Edrisa bent at the waist slightly as though she was tipping her hat to the profiler, “The type of equipment in the room can be repurposed for collecting the amount of blood we found at our first scene.”

Within her, a strange wave of regret at a life lost mixed with anticipation. Glancing at Bright’s face, Dani figured he must be feeling the same way.

She scanned the team, the soft smile that started with Edrisa’s gesture growing slightly as Peter lifted his chin in a small gesture telling her to take the lead on next steps. 

“Ok, so while not yet definitive that the incinerator was the location of the murder, we can operate on the assumption for the time being. Bright, with Chasen all obsessed with our childhood, would the –”

Dani’s question was cut off by the ricocheting of a piercing alarm, causing her hands to fly to her ears as her team followed suit. Her eyes roamed, looking for the threat as the sound seemed to penetrate every element of her body. The phones on all the desks erupted, the ringing adding to the cacophony of noises, bringing the latent stress headache to life. 

She watched Bright shout something towards her as he moved Edrisa into the conference room, waving for her to follow. Dani nodded and jogged past startled employees towards Kevin Greggory, who was trying to hear someone at the other end of a phone. Grabbing his arm, she motioned towards the conference room. Moving quickly, they made their way to where the rest of the team had taken refuge, JT and Peter trying to cover the single speaker in the room while Bright and Edrisa pulled out all the phone cords. 

The alarm continued to grate, but at least they could hear each other if they shouted. 

“What’s happening?”

Kevin kept his call going as he yelled a response back, “I’m trying to figure it out. There is an active attack on the facility. DoD wing.” 

“An attack?” Dani felt the blood drain from her face as her hand went to her gun. 

“Yes. No information on who they are. We don’t have eyes yet,” Kevin scanned the chaos, “This doesn’t make sense. None of this is in our lockdown plan.”

Bright shook his head, hair falling into his face as he breathed heavily, “This is Keller. Chaos. He’s here. Right now, in the facility.” Bright started walking to the conference room door, purpose in every move, “We need to get to the Parkinson’s research lab. He’s come back for something he found masquerading as the ethics investigator.” 

Dani put a hand on his arm to pause him, “Bright, if there is an active attack against civilians, we can’t go to the lab.” She motioned towards JT and Peter, “We need to go help.” 

Bright’s face tightened in frustration, “I know. He’s counting on that. My guess is all of security is diverting to the location of the supposed attack. No one actually has eyes on the attackers?” 

They looked to Kevin, “Security is being repositioned to respond, but lock down should have occurred to make sure people stay safe –"

Silence, dizzying after the tidal wave of noise, startled everyone quiet – afraid for a moment to break the peace. 

Kevin swallowed and lifted the cell phone to his ears, “Report.” He looked at the detectives, relaying the information he was receiving, “There are indicators of a two-prong infiltration of our perimeter – one through the main receiving garage and the other through a side entrance. We believe they used fake access badges. Report shots fired but no injuries.”

Peter, Dani, and JT pulled out their guns. Bright could feel his irritation spilling over. Shoving a chair next him, he watched as his team ran to follow Kevin to the action, Dani yelling for him and Edrisa to stay in the conference room. 

Bright turned to look at Edrisa, left hand tremoring, “This doesn’t fit the profile. Mass casualty situation? No. Games? Absolutely. He’s here. I know it.” 

Edrisa shrugged, both taken aback at everything that was happening and bewildered about how to help, “Can you get to the lab anyway? I mean… where else would something of value be?” 

Bright grabbed her shoulders excitedly, causing her to erupt in a wide smile, “I have the access badge! He’s here for something of value so either the lab or…” He whirled around to gaze at where Dani had disappeared to, “or Dani.” He turned back to face Edrisa, “Stay here and try and keep everyone calm. I’m going after Dani.” Before she could respond, Bright took off running towards the attack.


	20. Rat Traps

Bright ran through the hallways, watching as employees barricaded themselves in their offices, frightened and pale. Bright desperately clung to his belief that something was amiss, and this was all some game Keller was playing to sow chaos, fear, and distraction. _He’s up to something._

Instinctively ducking at the sound of gunshots, he slowed as he came to a corner. Stopping, he pressed himself against the wall, the shots noticeably closer. Peeking around the corner, he saw security had erected a small blockade of what looked like military grade shielding. Bullets fractured the wall and pinged into the shield at a steady pace. Dani, JT, and Peter were huddled behind it, guns at the ready, occasionally glancing over the top to scan the scene but not returning any fire. _Huh._ They were talking in hushed tones to Kevin who was relaying something into his cell. 

To far to hear and with bullets still flying, Bright waited for a pause. When the time came, he ran to join the others, just as JT took a look over the barricade. 

All of them whirled at Bright’s sudden movement, raising their guns. 

“No! Don’t shoot!” Dani screamed, springing up to knock Bright down. 

His head smacked into the floor, causing his vision to blur momentarily, while Dani gasped, the air knocked out of her. Stunned and laying on top of him, they gazed at each other, eyes wide. 

Still pinning him to the ground, Dani’s eyes narrowed in anger and Bright swallowed in reaction, “Are you really sneaking up on armed responders during a shootout? You could have been killed!” 

Bright groaned, his body protesting as Dani rolled off him, “You can punish me later - yell, yell at me later.” 

Keeping their heads down, they crawled back to the blockade, the look on JT’s face telling Bright that Gill was likely going to hear about this. _Tomorrow me’s problem._ Bright let their disapproval roll off him, “There’s something weird about this.” 

“We know,” JT’s voice growled, low and threatening as he looked over the barricade. “Shooting is in a pattern. No one has had eyes on any shooter. This is crazy, but I think it’s UTMs.” 

“What are UTMs?” Dani asked, risking a look over the barricade. 

“Simulated bullets used by the military to train. Hurts like crazy if you get hit but you’d be fine. There are machines that provide cover fire and shoot UTMs…” 

They all ducked a little lower as another round peppered the wall above them. 

Peter shouted a bit over the echoing barrage, “These tactics don’t make sense for any of the groups in the threat briefing either. No one’s hurt?” 

Everyone turned to Kevin, “No injuries and no one can actually see where the fire is coming from in either location.” 

“Chasen!” Bright’s voice erupted in a combination of breathlessness and annoyance. Anger pulsed in his chest as Kevin relayed the same information from when they were in conference room, “This is Keller. We need to get to the lab and stay with Dani.” He looked at her, “He’s either after you or something there. We might as well combine the two and keep you all locked down and protected.” 

Dani’s eyes narrowed at him again, and he quickly backtracked, “Not us protect you but all of us protect…” The absurdity of her irritation at being protected after what happened last time suddenly hit him. His eyes narrowed, mirroring hers, “No… to protect you too. Protect you and the lab. Mainly you. You can punish me later. Come on!” 

With that, he grabbed her arm. Bobbing his head in time with his own internal count, he waited for another pause. He pulled at her slightly when the time came, and they both crouched low as they darted around the corner. 

JT and Peter quickly followed; Kevin staying behind to navigate the two incidents. JT’s lip quirked up in disgust, “Punish? Seriously?” 

Bright rolled his eyes as they took off at a run back towards the conference room, “Yell. Yell at me later.”

\----------------------------------

Bright banged his fist on the door to the office space where they had left Edrisa, “Edrisa! It’s us. We need to get through.” 

“Hang on!” Edrisa’s faint voice reach them. The clangs of scrapping metal and thuds of heavy objects soon followed. “We just need to move some stuff first.” 

The door slowly opened enough for them to squeeze through. The tension was high in the room, Edrisa’s face pale. “We barricaded ourselves when we heard shots. Are people hurt? Should I go help?” Edrisa’s voice came out in stutters, clearly terrified by the prospect but also determined to try. 

Bright smiled at her bravery, “No one is hurt.” Everyone in the room looked at each other in relief. Bright’s voice rose so everyone could hear, “We think this is a distraction for a theft. Does anyone know the exact location of the Parkinson’s lab?” 

Edrisa’s head jerked back slightly in shock, “You all haven’t been there yet?” 

Bright shook his head impatient, “No, that was going to be after the interviews.” Raising his voice, he practically shouted, “We need someone to take us to Professor Garcia’s lab.” 

Hesitantly, the hand of a petite blonde woman went up, “I can take you.” 

Bright smiled manically, pointing at her, eyes wide, “Thank you! Lead the way!” 

The woman led them in a slow jog through the winding hallways, stopping only to swipe their badges at locked doors. She paused at a large foyer that served as a junction for three hallways. Pointing to the one in the middle, the woman spoke up, “Right down that hallway, around the bend, and last door on the left.” 

Bright’s thank you was cut off as his body flew through the air, slamming into the wall. Confused, ears ringing, the world tilted as another explosion went off. 

Pushing against the ground, he tried to lift himself to a sitting position, searching for Dani. She lay about four feet from him, and he quickly scrambled towards her. Sitting by her back, he checked for injuries. Seeing none, he helped her roll over as she began to collect herself. He scanned the rest of the room for the others as smoke filled the air. 

Peter was helping the woman who’d guided them here stand. JT walked shakily over towards Bright and Dani, his head bleeding slightly.

“You good?” Dani’s voice drew his attention back. Bright nodded. Grasping each other’s arms, they helped each other up, just as JT reached them. Dani’s hand reached out towards JT’s injury, stopping short of touching his forehead, “You good, JT?” 

“I’m fine.” 

Dani turned to Peter and the woman, taking a step towards them, “Peter?” 

He held up a hand, “We’re good.” 

“What the hell was that?” Dani asked, hands flying to her forehead as she surveyed the debris and smoke.

“Two IEDs,” JT said darkly.

“Why?” Bright asked thoughtfully, turning in a circle to take in his surroundings. 

“Uh, to kill us bro. That’s usually why IEDs are used.” 

Bright shook his head impatiently, “No, Dani hasn’t seen him beat Alexandre yet. This is a game. Potentially deadly like the others, sure. But it’s a game.” 

A sudden crash of metal echoed to their right. At the far end of the first hallway, white steel doors had automatically come down, slamming together. Everyone watched silently as another set of steel doors screamed to a close in the middle of the first hallway. 

“The fire doors,” The woman gasped. Another fire door slammed shut, this time at the start of the hallway, completely cutting off any access. 

Bright and Dani glanced at each other and took off towards the middle hallway. As they neared the entrance, a wave of heat and energy slammed into them, sending them both crashing to the ground. Bright rolled slightly to cover Dani as pieces of the wall rained down on their heads.

He glanced over as Peter and JT emerged from the smoke and dust. He scanned Dani. No injuries. He scanned himself next. _No injuries. Huh._

“Three IEDs and no injuries.” He got a close up of JT’s head, as JT bent to help him stand, Peter helping Dani. Already the wound had stopped bleeding, “Well, no serious injuries.” 

Another screech of metal sounded to their left as fire doors slammed shut. The far hallway now subject to the fire doors’ methodical closing. A metal clicking noise sounded faintly at the entry way of the middle hallway, it’s entrance still several feet away from where they stood. 

Dani and Bright took off running a second time with Peter and JT close behind. Throwing themselves the last inch, the fire doors banged shut behind them. 

The four shared a glance. The only way left was towards the lab. JT, Dani, and Peter all drew their guns, Bright falling back as they slowly stalked forward. 

Abruptly, the team paused in tandem as the fire alarm sounded. Remaining silent, they listened as a robotic voice came on over the speakers, “Employees. There is a fire in the main lobby. Please go to the nearest exit. Employees. There is a fire in the main lobby. Please go to the nearest exit.” 

They lowered their guns as staff members poured out of previously barricaded offices, the hallway quickly teaming with people all rushing in the direction of the Parkinson’s lab. 

A huff escaped Bright’s lips as he shook his head over Chasen’s game, “The fire doors are forcing everyone into this hallway. There must be an exit near the lab.” 

Rapidly, the hallway became a mob scene. Alarm and adrenaline flooded Bright as he sensed the energy shifting towards panic. His own claustrophobia clawed at his throat. A stampede was becoming a very real concern. 

In response, Bright hopped on top of a decorative hallway planter, hands batting palm fronds away from his face. Holding his hands up once he could see, he shouted for everyone’s attention, “Ladies and Gentleman, we’re from the NYPD. We are testing GenTechLab’s response plan and there has been a small malfunction. I apologize for the inconvenience.” Bright paused, measuring the energy, pleased as it shifted away from panic and towards annoyance. 

“Why weren’t we told of this beforehand?” The angry shout emerged somewhere at his left. 

Bright pointed in general direction of the voice, “Great question for security later.” _Sorry Kevin._ “Right now, however, we need to file in an orderly fashion towards the exit if you please. Again, there has simply been a malfunction of the fire doors and alarms. No need for concern. Please move calmly towards the exit.” 

Disgruntled now rather than fearful, the employees slowly filed out, allowing the team to weave their way through as they apologized for all the inconvenience.

Reaching the correct lab number, JT subtly drew his gun and went in first. Dani and Peter drew theirs as they entered trying not to re-spark panic in the hallway masses. A wall of cages lined the far side, all of the doors open. Dani cleared a large supply closet as the others took stock around them. 

Bright fought down the utter frustration that they had missed Keller and instead focused on anything out of place that might signal a new game. A single computer was on in the corner, cursor flashing much like in the warehouse. 

Bright began walking towards it when Dani’s voice, clear and powerful, sounded behind him, “Chasen, wait! He’s in the hallway!” 

He turned to see Dani running full tilt back into the crowds, pushing people out of the way and quickly disappearing from view. 

\-----------------------------------

“Dani!” Bright sprinted after her, vaguely noting JT and Peter doing the same. He narrowed his vision down to the head of black curls bobbing in and out of sight as startled staff members tried to get out of their way. In the back of his mind, Bright recognized this was probably how the others felt when he took off without backup, but he was too anxious to care about any hypocrisy. 

Bright swerved to avoid a worker and almost crashed into Dani when she abruptly stopped. He grabbed her arm to both steady himself and keep her in place. She ignored him completely. She stared, transfixed and silent at a man who stared right back. Her eyes were two deep wells of emotion even he couldn’t discern; her face a blank mask. 

Hesitantly, Bright kept one hand gripping her arm securely, “Dani, he was right next to an exit and instead ran further into the building. He’s choosing not to escape. This is a game. We need to be careful.” 

A small flicker of her brown eyes towards him told Bright she had heard. He began mentally assessing his options. _Why this location?_ The people around were slowly thinning as the facility began to successful empty out. _He wants bystanders gone. Why?_ Desperate to understand, his eyes raked over as much of his surroundings as they could, while still keeping Chasen in sight. _I’m running out of time. What’s the game?_

Keeping his grip on her arm, Bright took a step forward, coming between her and Keller. Quickly, he pivoted more to the side when Keller’s lip lifted slightly in a snarl. The muscles under his hand tensed and he felt Dani shift like she was going to move forward. 

Quickly, Bright spoke, pausing them both, “Chasen, it’s really good to meet you in person. I said I wanted to be your friend too. I meant it. I know what it’s like to have someone like Alexandre in your life.” He let his sorrow for the young boy fill his eyes even as he leaned forward into a slight fighting stance when Keller took a small step towards Dani, “I truly want to help you. We aren’t born broken. Someone breaks us, and sometimes we need help getting fixed.” 

Bright watched as Keller’s eyes darted to look at something over his shoulder. Bright risked a glance. JT and Peter had their guns out. Standing about 5 feet behind Dani, they flanked each side, allowing a clear shot at Keller. JT gave Bright a quick look, giving subtle permission to keep trying to talk Keller down. 

Only a few bystanders remained, crouching in the hallway with nowhere to hide. The scared, pale faces of the lab staff taking in the standoff rose to the top of Bright’s concerns, “Chasen, can we let the innocent people go? They need to pass by both of us to do that. Is that OK?” 

Chasen nodded slightly, his autonomic tells showing no indicators of deceit. _We can’t have a hostage situation. Risk it._

Bright held up his free hand, and gently waved the bystanders through, encouraging them quietly to move. Peter holstered his gun, and began helping the employees get out of the way and towards the exit. JT remained poised to act, gun now pointed at the ground as civilians passed by, but eyes locked on his target. 

Dani suddenly jerked in shock, startling Bright. Her voice rose in alarm, as she lifted her gun, “Don’t! This is the mall job isn’t it? Chasen, people aren’t out all the way yet. Please. We can help you.” Her gun, aimed straight for his chest, never wavered. However, her eyes and voice beseeched her old friend. 

Bright could hear her fear that she would have shoot. A small part of him winced. _She still cares._ Nothing about that shocked him. He would expect nothing else from Dani, but he saw the obsession strengthen further in Chasen’s eyes. _He heard it too._

A surprisingly gentle smile and voice came from Chasen as he finally spoke, only addressing Dani, “Do you remember that time when your mom’s boyfriend started beating you in the hallway?” 

Bright felt his heart stutter at the causal glimpse at Dani’s childhood abuse. 

Chasen continued, completely unaware that he was making real what before had been limited Dani’s purposefully understated descriptions, “Marcus and Michael bashed the windows of his car setting off the alarm. Jess, Eric, and I grabbed you when he ran to go see what had happened.” 

“I remember. You all kept me alive.” 

Something in Chasen’s eyes shifted, a wild energy starting to manifest. _Psychosis._ Bright stepped closer to Dani, the hand on her arm no longer trying to keep her still but prepared to push her out of the way. 

“We saved each other. Did you know in most cultures that means our lives belong to each other? Utterly intertwined. Destiny Bunny. It’s all destiny. None of us can stop it.” 

A massive flash and a second explosion sounded behind him causing Bright to barrel into Dani, knocking her down as drywall and dust rained on them both. Through blurry, spotted vision, Bright watched as Chasen ran further into the building. 

Dani rolled onto her back, legs scrambling to get underneath her even as her balance shifted wildly. “Everyone good?” Dani shouted into the dust cloud, her voice raspy and raw.

Peter knelt near an elderly man, lab coat identifying him as a GenTechLabs employee. Trying to keep the older man still, Peter called over his shoulder, “I think we’re ok. He’s taken a nasty fall, though. We should get him checked out.” 

JT stumbled towards some of the last staff members a little farther from Peter, “You all ok?” At their stunned yeses, JT changed direction towards Dani and Bright who now stood on shaky legs. 

“Keller ran further into the building. What’s his end game?” JT asked. 

Bright shook his head, hands falling to his knees as he coughed, trying to clear the dust from his lungs. Dani rocked back, taking in the destruction around her, “It’s the mall job. One of the first times Alexandre taught us how to –”

Abruptly, the clanging of metal sounded through the hallway. Now familiar, everyone scanned for where the fire door may be. Seeing the telling indents in the wall, JT sprinted towards Dani and Bright.

Too late, the steel doors slammed shut, cutting off Dani and Bright from the rest of the team. Leaving them no choice but to move towards where Chasen had disappeared. 

Bright gazed at Dani, wishing he was still allowed to carry a service weapon, “We’re being herded.”


	21. Eye of the Hurricane

Dani felt the calm of crisis fall over her. Ever since she was a child, she found when faced with a true threat, her head became clearer, her emotional walls solidified, and a strange sense of peace overtook her body. Her dad said it was because she had great instincts. Ms. Mary had called it a survival tactic. Her rehab therapist told her it was a type of dissociation linked to childhood trauma. Gil had simply shrugged when, during a visit to rehab, she confessed the ability and her therapist’s comments made her uneasy. He’d told her the why didn’t matter as much as who it helped her to be. A person who helped others? A person who survived? A good cop? A good friend? She’d clung to his perspective, melded it with her thoughts until it felt like her own. 

She turned to Bright, poised, to find him staring at her. His blue eyes seemed made of glass with a sharpness she knew wasn’t directed at her. His weight was forward like he was subtly preparing to fall into a fighting stance if you provoked him further. She wondered if this was the look that had made his FBI colleagues nervous. She found comfort in it, knowing he was going to do what was needed to have her back. He wouldn’t leave. He wouldn’t betray her. 

Simultaneously, they stepped closer to each other, turning toward the direction Chasen had run, shoulders brushing. Keeping her gun out, Dani began walking forward cautiously, Bright following closely behind, not wanting to leave any room for a fire door or an explosion to separate them. 

The progress was slow going. Dani paused before each new office door, preparing for an assault. Bright stood to the side, opening the doors for her to do a quick sweep, before they moved on. A more thorough search would have to come later. Patient and focused, they moved in tandem, a rhythm emerging. Minutes ticked by as they came to the end of the hallway. It ended at a cross section, forcing Dani and Bright to choose whether to go right or left. 

“Thoughts?” Dani whispered. 

Bright scanned each direction, “He’s likely left us a sign. A game. What happened in the mall job?” 

Dani blew a small strand of hair out of her face, gun up and level as she peered around, “It was the first time Alexandre taught us coordinated strategy. We hit a small indoor market filled with stalls. I distracted security by acting like I was lost. Michael dropped smoke bombs at key locations, Marcus and Jess set off the sprinklers, and Chasen pulled the alarm. Alexandre taught us how to synchronize our timing so we all did it at the same time. Picked everyone’s pockets and made out with a ton of purses in the chaos.”

Bright stared at her, eyes wide, “That must have been so cool.” 

Her gun dropped slightly, and she looked at him like he’d grown a second head, “That’s what you take from that?” 

Shrugging, he sucked his lips inwards, sheepish, “I stand by it.” 

“Focus.” 

“What makes you think this is the mall job?” Bright searched the scene as much as he was able, unwilling to stray more than a foot or two from Dani. 

She turned her back to Bright, scanning in the opposite direction, “The fake gun attack. The explosions that aren’t killing anyone. They’re all diversions, just like we did back then. But it’s the animals. They’re gone but Chasen didn’t have them. Maybe he just opened the cages and let them run free but I doubt it. He has help.” 

“Dani?” Bright moved towards a small indent on the wall. It was the faint outline of a rabbit, “You’re a very good cop.” 

Unexpected and out of place in the middle of an operation, Dani startled a bit at the compliment. A hint of unease floated unexpectedly within her, battling with the warmth his words also evoked. Shaking her head, she decided to largely ignore it and focus on the present moment, “What did you find?” 

Bright’s index finger traced the rabbit before pointing right, “The rabbit’s facing that way.” 

Dani raised her gun, Bright closing the distance between them in two steps so he was right behind her. Quietly, they walked the hallway, clearing rooms just as they had before. 

Another five minutes passed. No signs of Keller. No signs of games. 

Dani could feel her adrenalin begin to come down, the gun getting heavy in her hands, “Think we missed him?” Bright hummed a negative quietly behind her. Clearing another office, they moved to the next. 

Bright held the handle ready. Dani nodded, he swung it open, and Dani stepped slightly inside to do a quick sweep just like the others. This time though, she paused. On one of the lab tables, lay a large, wrapped gift. Giant blue bow on top, the wrapping radiated color as the White Rabbit fell down a psychedelic swirl, Alice close behind. 

Feeling her tension, Bright peered over her shoulder, growing solemn at the sight. Dani moved further in to do a far more careful sweep of the room, while Bright approached the gift, care in every move in case of a trap. 

The sweep complete, Dani walked closer to the present when a small figurine caught her eye. Partially hidden by the trim around the office door, stood a small, Disney-like, porcelain rat. “Bright,” Dani jerked her head towards the statue, moving to pick it up. 

It occurred to Bright in the moment he wondered why there would a figurine on the floor in that particular location. Screaming Dani’s name, Bright watched as Chasen dropped from a panel in the ceiling, legs out-stretched, hitting Dani full force in the back. She careened into the hallway, head first. 

Chasen slammed the door shut, leaving Dani outside. He pulled out a small electronic device from his pocket, and entered some sort of code silently. Bright could hear the locks on the office door engaging. _Lockdown mechanism._ Bright gathered his thoughts rapidly as Chasen turned to face him. 

“Bright, I thought it was time we met properly.” 

\-----------------------

They circled each other slowly, not even aware they were doing it. Every time one shifted the other mirrored in order to keep a set distance between them. Bright watched as Chasen observed him, the intelligence in his eyes telling Bright he was building his own rudimentary profile. _He spent a lot of time watching me and Dani. I wonder what his profile says?_ Sometimes what a person chose to include in their profile said a lot about them. Memories of Colette’s angry commentary about his potential hostility toward woman when he had started his Junk Yard Killer profile surfaced. Other times, like in that case, it was simply correct. 

Dani’s frantic hitting and pulling on the door jarred the two men out of their quiet appraisals of each other. What felt like minutes had been in actuality seconds. Bright decided to push first, “You kicked Dani. You hurt her, again.” 

Chasen wasn’t taking the bait, “I hit Ella at a 45-degree angle and she was wearing protective gear. She won’t even have a bruise.” 

Bright nodded, jaw tensing, “That’s good. She has a lot from the warehouse already to recover from.” That one stung; Bright could tell from the flare of the nostrils and slight hitch in his breathing. 

“You have no idea what you are talking about. You didn’t even know we existed until this week. Still think you’re close to her?” 

Taking martial arts for years had helped Bright navigate more than just physical bullying. One of the primary principles of most martial arts was redirecting an attacker’s energy so it ultimately rebounded and hurt the original attacker. Overtime, Bright had figured out that the principle worked with emotional attacks as well. If you couldn’t sidestep or block an attack, move through it and redirect it back. Maybe not the healthiest approach, but then, he delt with sociopaths - not your average bully. The fact that this week had taught him how much he didn’t know, how much he never really asked, about Dani hurt. It was also undeniable. _Move through it and redirect._

“There’s a lot of different kinds of knowing, different kinds of closeness, with a person. You can know all the facts in the world about someone and still have no intimate connection. I do that all the time as a profiler. Other times,” He paused wanting his words to sink in, “you may have a lot to learn about each other, but that only furthers the intimate connection already there.”

Chasen’s rage emanated from every pore at Bright’s insinuation. Bright smiled, letting Chasen see teeth. The circling stopped, this time with Bright in front of the door and Chasen near the gift. Chasen let loose a disjointed tirade at Bright, hands waving, pacing slightly in agitation. 

Bright watched, mentally cataloguing all the normal rationalizations and declarations stalkers usually gave. _Textbook._ At the same time, Bright casually reached behind himself to fiddle with the door. Not actually expecting it to be that easy, Bright quickly stopped when the locks had no impact. _Should have been able to disengage from the inside or too much of a fire hazard. He completely controls the system._ Never taking his eyes off of Chasen, he saw a flash of black hair disappear from his periphery and Dani’s banging on the door stop. 

He stilled, listening hard between rants. _No sounds of struggle. Dani’s likely still alone. Trying to find another way in? Distract him._

Bright cocked his head slightly as Chasen seemed to be winding down. Chasen was breathing heavily, fists clenched, every muscle in his body tense. Then, just as suddenly, a complete transformation happened, perking Bright’s interest. The tension melted, fists unclenched, and Chasen smiled, crow’s feet appearing around his eyes, “I think we’re going to be friends Bright.” 

_Regression._ “I hope we are Chasen. Why do you think so?”

“Because, we both want to protect Ella. You just haven’t realized,” his voice was soft, genuinely upset, as though worried for Bright. 

_Ten to one, it’s because I haven’t realized he and Dani are destined for each other._ “What haven’t I realized?” 

“That Dani and I belong to each other. It’s destiny.” 

Bright inwardly rolled his eyes. _Outside the psychosis, intelligence, and propensity for games, he’s largely just a normal stalker._ Bright considered his options. Like many stalkers, Chasen was an active threat to Dani. He’d hurt her. He’d try and hurt her again. Ending this, here and now, was pivotal. 

Chasen continued on, talking as though to himself, “You’ll realize it soon. Like Marcus realized he couldn’t be with Dani. Then, you’ll help me.”

With that, Bright’s skin pricked, “Help you how?” Bright dropped his voice to something soothing, like a confidant. 

“Get Michael back for Dani.” 

Of all the statements Bright had considered, that hadn’t been one. _Something about Alexandre, something about the Peter, something about the deal… Getting Michael back?_

More of the mystery clicked into place for Bright. He had been wondering what leverage Peter and Alexandre may have had at the beginning of their collaboration to keep Dani from going nuclear, classifications be damned. Bright assumed it was that Marcus was tied so closely to Alexandre. Or that Alexandre would hurt Jess and Eric even though he has no history of violence. _Michael. He has Michael._

“From Alexandre?” Bright probed softly, wanting confirmation. 

At the mention of Alexandre, the childlike anxiety radiating from Chasen’s eyes shifted into uninhibited, hostile focus - directed straight at him. 

_Well, shit._


	22. And They all Fall Down

Writ large, people are usually shocked when he fights. Small, wiry, and not a fan of violence, Bright knows he comes across as an easy victim. But what a lot of people don’t understand about fighting – real, true fighting – is that the key is technique. And the key to technique is physics. Usually, people assumed posturing and muscling your way through would achieve victory. And it can… _unless you really know technique._ A 100-pound woman can take down a 250-pound muscle man if she’s good on her techniques. Bright weighed the possibilities. _Marcus shows the physical traits of deep marital arts training. Chasen executed the kick on Dani perfectly and with great body control. This will come down to techniques… technique and creative application. I need him out of control. From the look on his face, he’s already half way there. One little nudge…_

Bright’s mind worked furiously, coming up with and discarding various strategies. Previously, he’d made allusions about Dani and the role he played in her life to get Chasen off center. There was no end to the various insinuations he could make, but he balked at taking his comments any further. At some point, that just started getting disrespectful to Dani. _Alexandre though…_

“Chasen, I’m curious. Why is Alexandre determined to replace you?” Bright asked, voice dripping with concern as his muscles tensed at the ready. It wasn’t long in coming. 

A snarled scream worked its way from Chasen’s throat, and his face morphed further into rage. Surging forward, Chasen ran full tilt at Bright, looking more like a charging bull than martial artist. 

_Perfect._ Bright fell into a fighting stance, bringing his hands up. He rushed to meet the assault with momentum, planning a throw and pin. 

Not as far gone as originally assumed, Chasen pivoted at the last minute, using a bolted down lab table like a gymnastics horse vault to twist and kick. 

Bright saw the hit coming and angled his body slightly to help absorbed the pain of Chasen’s foot connecting with his chest. Using the energy of being thrown backwards to his advantage, Bright let muscle memory and years of training take over. Falling into a backwards roll, he came up for a leg sweep that connected directly to Chasen’s knees. 

Bright could tell he had surprised his opponent. Not wanting to lose ground, Bright rushed forward to tackle and pin him, but Chasen pulled a similar move, using his fall to roll under the lab table and to the other side, buying himself time. 

Taking a page from Keller, Bright vaulted over the table. Spotting potential help, he grabbed a two-foot long, 2-inch-thick wooden dowel from the mess of lab supplies  
.   
Bright felt the thrill of adrenaline as he twirled his improvised weapon to get a sense of weight and balance. Drawing on his Eskrima background, Bright looked for attack angles and found contact. 

Forced to methodologically fall back, Chasen blocked, sickening thuds sounding as Bright’s weapon hit his forearms, shoulders, and shins. Bright adjusted the direction of his onslaught, trying to herd him into a corner. 

“Chasen,” he panted, “this doesn’t need to end with blood. We ultimately want the same thing. Dani safe. Alexandre gone. I can get you help.” Teeth gritted, Bright showed no signs of slowing or stopping. The fact that Dani’s life was in play driving the strength behind each attack. 

Finally, the wooden dowel landed a direct hit, and a crunching sound reverberated around the room as the weapon shattered across Chasen’s cheek and nose. Blood sprayed, making Bright hesitate.

The second hesitation was what Chasen needed. Ignoring the pain, and gaining enough space to use his hands for something other than blocking, Chasen grabbed a beaker, throwing it at Bright’s head. With no idea what the beaker’s contents were, Bright flung himself to the side. 

They stared at each other, breathing heavily. Chasen continued to ignore the blood and pain radiating through his body.

_Likely broken cheekbone and nose. Barely registering it. Dissociation._

Bright swallowed down nausea at the sight of his handiwork. Desperately, he tried to think of a way to get through to him, even as he steadied himself for further violence.

Before he could speak, a motion above Chasen caught his eye. A ceiling tile started to move. Bright watched in surreal amazement as Dani swung down from the vents, kicking Chasen as hard as she could, just as he had done to her. 

_She found a way in._

Dani pressed her advantage, moving quickly as Keller stumbled, off center from the kick. Bright watched, mouth slightly agape, as Dani raised her fists in a classic boxing pose and connected a strong uppercut to Chasen’s torso. Bright heard Keller gasp as he ran to join the fray.

“Chasen, you’re under arrest. Stop…please,” Dani kept aiming for Chasen’s face, hoping the impact combined with the broken nose and cheek would force Chasen to give up. She ducked and blocked in turn as Chasen began throwing punches back. 

She hadn’t had time to pull her gun, hoping Bright would join to get her the space needed to do so. She threw a right hook when Chasen twisted in a move she’d never seen before. Dani had enough time to process that he had grabbed her wrist when she found herself thrown, connecting with a solid body behind her. _Bright._

They both scrambled back up, as Chasen disarmed the door and took off running, her gun in his hand. 

_How the hell did he do that?_

Bright took a second to scan Dani for injuries before taking off in pursuit, while Dani grabbed something off of a lab table. 

About ten feet behind Keller, Bright startled slightly as he saw a small mass fly by his head. Eyebrows scrunched, even as he never slowed, he watched as a metal, circular disk connected hard to Keller’s back. _Did she just throw some sort of improvised javelin thing?_

Bright smiled in admiration as he added that the list of techniques he hadn’t known she knew, such as vent kicking. 

Not expecting the hit, Keller tripped over his own feet, falling hard into a door. Latch giving way now that the lockdown was lifted, Keller fell out of view into an office. A moment later, Bright skidded to a halt in front of the room. 

A lab technician, sitting at his computer, eating a sandwich, stared flabbergasted at the two intruders. Unable to process why a bloodied man had just fallen through his office door, the lab tech just watched as another man in a suit tried to tackle the first. 

\---------------------------

Dani skidded to a stop much like Bright had at the office entrance, catching herself on the door frame. Quickly taking stock of the situation, she watched as Bright and Chasen exchanged blows, moving fluidly and furiously around each other. Her eyes went to the lab tech who seemed frozen, watching. Deciding the civilian was her top priority, a commanding voice rang out of her as she rushed towards the staff member, “NYPD! Clear out now!” 

Feet away, Dani pivoted hard into the corner of a table when Chasen threw an empty bowl at her head. She turned, seeing Bright retaliate with a hard kick to Chasen’s thigh. 

The clatter of the bowl against the wall seemed to jolt the lab tech out of his trance, who took off running for a back door. Unfortunately, that put him closer to the action. Taking advantage, Chasen lunged, and Bright, desperate to keep the staff member from becoming a hostage, frantically reached for Chasen’s arms. A fake out, Chasen jerked back at the last minute as the lab tech cleared the door and disappeared. Foot coming down hard on Bright’s extended leg, Chasen’s arms locked around him, sending him to his knees in a headlock. 

Frustration and desperation mixing with fear, Bright twisted… but he knew… Chasen had him immobilized. 

Dani felt her stomach drop at the sight. Her eyes scanned the floor for any sign of her gun. _He must have dropped it somewhere in here when he fell through the door._ She swallowed hard, coming up empty. 

“Chasen,” Dani’s voice lowered several octaves, soothing like tea and honey, “Chasen, I need you to look at me.” Risking a quick glance at Bright, ice flowed in her veins as she watched his face slowly become redder from the pressure around his neck. 

She bit her lip slightly before quickly morphing it into a smile, “Chasen, please look at me.” Finally getting his attention, she put her hands in her pockets, trying to evoke an air of familiarity, like they were about to go get coffee. “Chasen, I’m glad you’re back. Last time you were in town, I didn’t know what Alexandre had done. I know now, though. So does Marcus, Jess, and Eric. We want you to come home. Bright wants that too. We can’t all be friends if he’s hurt, now can we?” 

That seemed to pause Chasen momentarily and Dani heard Bright’s breathing ease slightly, “That’s good Chasen. I want you to let Bright go, and you and I can wait for Gil to come, and then all four of us can go get some help.” 

Chasen responded with silence - watching Dani but making no moves. She couldn’t tell if she was helping or hurting her chances of getting Chasen to finally stop, but she continued to listen hard to Bright’s breathing even as she dared not look. 

“Chasen, maybe if you let Bright go, I can get some visitor’s allowances and we can all have dinner together next week. You, me, Bright, Jess, Eric, and Marcus.” A low hum of static rose into the air. _I said something wrong._ The look in Chasen’s eyes shifted, the energy circulating through him seemed to pulse back up to rage. Hearing a gasp, her eyes darted down to Bright. Chasen was choking him. 

“That’s why I can’t stop Bunny.” 

“Chasen stop! You’re killing Bright,” Dani’s voice shook. 

Chasen shook his head, impatient for her to understand, “That’s why I can’t stop. Even if I want to go home.” 

Swallowing, a ripple of determination flowed through her. In an instant, her mind cleared and the shaking in her body stilled, “Why is that?”

Bright must have heard something in her tone. Despite slowly having his airflow choked off, she felt his attention shift from struggling to resting heavily on her. 

“Because, you didn’t even mention Michael. I stop, and Michael stays gone.” 

Never looking away from Chasen’s face, Dani’s hands shifted in her pocket, “I’m going to get Michael back. With or without you. The alternative isn’t an option. But Michael would never want this. Never want you to hurt Bright. You know that. This is your last chance.” 

Chasen simply tightened his hold on Bright’s neck. 

Fluidly, Dani pulled her hands out of her jacket. Flipping open the blade she kept there, she extended one arm and launched the small knife. It turned in the air, sinking deep into Chasen’s shoulder. 

Screaming, he released Bright, who turned as he collapsed, grasping at Chasen’s shirt in a futile attempt to keep Keller in place. Not expecting something to tear off, Bright fell fully to the ground as a small black body pouch ripped off in his hands. It had been indistinguishable from Keller’s black outfit, but obviously important as Chasen frantically tried to grab it while one hand still clutched at his shoulder. A small tug of war ensued but, lungs still burning and desperate for air, Bright was in no shape to try and hold him off.

Making one last attempt, even as Dani rounded a table running for them, Bright grabbed again for the satchel. Two small hard drives clattered out. Bright threw his body over the nearest one. Swearing, Chasen grabbed the other and took off out of the lab. 

Still sucking in air, Bright looked up as Dani knelt next to him, her eyes scanned him quickly before lifting to track Keller’s run. “You good Bright?” Her hand fell to his shoulder. 

“Is that the knife you tried to use in the Burkhead case?” Bright gasped the first thing that popped into his mind, his voice horse and throat raw.

Distracted, Dani’s eyebrows furrowed, “Yeah, Michael taught me to throw.” 

Bright groaned and rolled to his back, lifting the external hard drive to show Dani, “I really need to meet Michael.”

Impatient with Keller getting away, Dani patted his shoulder and move to stand, “Call JT and tell him where we are. I’m going after Keller.” With that, Dani ran out of the room in pursuit. Bright’s frantic shout of no, falling on deaf ears. 

\----------------------

Dani saw a flash of Chasen’s back as he disappeared up the stairs. Huffing, Dani followed, trying to stretch out her legs to take the stairs two at a time and catch up. Passing a sign, it became evident they were heading to the roof. The faint whooping sound of helicopter blades telling her how Keller intended to get away.

Pulling open the last door, Dani rushed out onto the roof. Hair blowing and chest heaving in exertion, a moment of hope grew in her as she realized the helicopter was NYPD response. Waving her hands over her head to get the pilot’s attention, Dani lifted her badge off her belt to show it, “Hey! Over here! NYPD! Suspect is on the roof; call back –” 

A muscled arm snaked out around her chest, pulling her back roughly and flush against her captor’s body. Chasen’s voice sounded in her ear, “Don’t worry Bunny, this won’t hurt. You’ll just go to sleep like last time.” 

Using one arm to hold Dani tightly, Chasen brought the other one up, a small EpiPen like contraption in his hand. _The sedative._

Grunting, Dani managed to wiggle an arm out from between them, using her forearm to halt Chasen’s hand. Straining, Dani knew she couldn’t hold him off for long as she watched the needle slowly inch towards her. 

Peeling her eyes off the needle, Dani risked a glance at the helicopter pilot, hoping for backup. Despair clutched at her as the pilot simply watched. _It’s not real NYPD._ Tears welled up as the needle was almost to her, her arm straining under the effort to keep him from injecting her. 

A loud clatter to her right seemed to distract Chasen and a second later Dani felt someone collide with them, knocking everyone to the ground. Laying on her stomach, Dani began pushing herself up when multiple sets of hands began grabbing at her clothes. Pushing down the instinctual panic, Dani looked back over her shoulder. _Bright._ Both he and Chasen were engaged in a pseudo wrestling match, while each tried to grab Dani and pull her to their side. 

Utter rage spilled into her. _Enough._ Rolling to her back, lifting a knee to her chest, she kicked straight out, letting the emotions of the week fuel her. She connected solidly with the knife wound in Chasen’s shoulder. 

Screaming in pain, he rolled away, all of them scrambling to their feet. Dani stood next to Bright, fists clenched, anger turning her eyes into dark pools, “I am sick to death of this Chasen. This ends now before I throw you in a hole and forget you ever existed.” 

Bloodied but defiant, Chasen simply raised his arm, the electronic device that enabled the lockdown in hand, “It’s not time for us yet. But it will be. I’ve got to go for now though.” 

Pressing a couple buttons, Bright felt the shockwave of another explosion hit him. Stumbling back, but keeping to his feet, Bright watched in slow motion as Dani was flung back hard.

In surreal horror, he processed reality in jerky moments, like an old black and white movie. Dani hitting the door to the stairway. _Flash._ The door splintering on contact. _Flash._ Dani’s body, folded in on itself, disappearing from view. _Flash._ The sound of soft flesh hitting each step as she fell. _Flash._

A second, suspended in time, stretched as Bright and Chasen stared. Somewhere in the back of Bright’s mind, he cataloged Chasen utter bewilderment. _It was a mistake. He miscalculated the impact of the explosion._

Numb with shock, they both silently walked to the top of the stairs. Her body lay sprawled, one floor down. Bright brought his hands to his ears, as reality rushed back into alignment with a deep scream. It took a second to process the screams were coming from both him and Chasen. 

Bright ran down the stairs, desperately calling Dani’s name, while Chasen staggered to the helicopter.


	23. In Need of Comfort

Bright walked through the garage into the safehouse. Grave, face ashen, he knew with a certainty what he would find. 

Chasen sat in the middle of the living room, rocking himself back and forth, mumbling incoherently. 

Bright scanned for Jess and Eric. Quickly, he took in Jess, standing on the staircase blocking the path up to the second story with nothing but her body and a kitchen knife. Her face was ghostly white, knowing in her despair what Chasen’s presence, his bloodied and beaten body, and complete psychosis likely meant for Dani. 

Stricken, her eyes closed as she took in Bright’s appearance. 

“Jess,” Bright asked calmly, “can you please go upstairs? Marcus, Gil, and I need to have a conversation with Chasen.” 

Without a word, she turned, eyes still closed, unable to stomach looking at her broken childhood friend who likely broke her family. 

Bright put his hands in his pocket, as he considered the man before him. Deep down, he knew there was still compassion for the young, kidnapped boy somewhere inside him. But right now, in the aftermath of holding Dani’s crumpled body still until they could get her onto a back brace and into an ambulance… The aftermath of JT collapsing to his knees beside them and Peter’s shouts at the sight of her – all wrong angles and bloody head… The aftermath of the fear in Gil’s eyes as he watched the paramedics work on his pseudo-daughter… 

Bright felt nothing but loathing. 

_One little push and he’ll be lost forever._

Bright felt his psyche - his id - argue his case. 

_We could break Chasen – fully, finally. Right here. Right now. He’d never be able to hurt our Dani again._

He began arguing back. _Like Ainsley’s broken? Would Dani ever forgive us?_

_Would she know it was a choice?_

A keening sound, more like a banshee wail than human, began pouring out of Chasen’s throat. 

Goosebumps breaking out all over, memories of his sister swimming in his mind, Bright made his decision. 

“Chasen. Chasen. I need to speak to Chasen,” a tired chant sounded from his lips over the wail. Gil and Marcus, who had been waiting in the garage like he’d asked, came in at the sound of the scream. 

Not looking at them, Bright moved forward, waving his hand sharply to cut off their protests. Squatting next to Chasen, barely within reach, Bright reached out and began tapping rhythmically, “Chasen. Chasen. I need to speak to Chasen.” 

After a couple minutes of Bright’s chanting, the scream trailed off into silence. The rocking and mumbling began again, and Bright listened carefully to the seemingly jumble of noises softly coming from the man. 

Bright’s eyes widened as the odd cadence of the mumbling finally clicked into place, “You’re singing a lullaby. You don’t remember the tune or all the words, but it’s a lullaby.” 

Nausea swept over him, empathy finally pushing past the animosity. 

Risking a glance at Gil and Marcus, he could tell the men had overheard his discovery. Gil’s face was a mixture of sorrow and determination. Marcus blanched then wiped his face into a stoic mask. 

Bright looked back at Chasen, still rhythmically tapping his knee, “Chasen, I’ve heard that tune. Sometimes, when Dani is really tired at work and zoning out, she hums it too. I’ve heard Eric hum it here at the safehouse.” Bright tilted his head, “I bet Jess and Marcus hum it occasionally and don’t even realize it.” 

His voice dropped another octave, as he purposefully spoke in a rhythm close to the one he was tapping, “It’s comforting to all of you. Someone one of you loved knew it. Maybe a mom before any of the darkness settled in. One of you learned it and then taught it to the others. You told Dani you couldn’t stop even if you wanted to come home. But it went wrong in a way you never imagined. So here you are, where the rest of your family is, singing a lullaby…” 

Bright’s eyes softened, glancing down for a moment, then back up at Chasen. Self-consciously, he cleared his throat and began to hum the tune as best as he could. 

Several bars in and Chasen’s tones changed. Less jumbled and disorganized, he began to better mimic Bright’s version of the song. Pleased, Bright continued for another stanza or two before he began to falter. He didn’t actually know the song. He was only humming the parts he had heard from Dani. 

Just as he began to hesitate, Marcus picked up the tune, surprising Bright. Careful not to let Marcus see his reaction, Bright fell silent. He peered at Chasen intently, taking in every micromovement, every muscle twitch, trying to gage how to bring him the rest of the way back to reality. 

Quietly, he peered over his shoulder, addressing Marcus, “Don’t stop singing.” 

“Chasen. Chasen. I need to speak to Chasen,” Bright chanted Chasen’s name in between Marcus’ hummed notes, creating a constant flow of positive reinforcement.

Eventually, Bright saw Chasen blink slowly. _There!_

Prepared for the attacked he knew would come once he was recognized, Bright twisted as Chasen fell forward in an attempt to grab him. 

Bright always hated the wrestling portion of his training, but this wasn’t the first time he’d been grateful for it. Pinning Chasen to the floor, Gil and Marcus rushed to help. Gil pulling out handcuffs. 

“Wait!” Bright groaned, grateful when the added pressure of Gil and Marcus stilled Chasen’s flailing. He leaned down a couple inches to speak directly into Chasen’s ear. His eyes hardening, voice quiet but biting, Bright’s id finally got to rise closer to the surface, “I’m going to stop Alexandre, Chasen. I’m going to stop him for Michael, Eric, Jess, Marcus and even you. But most of all, I’m going to stop him for Dani.” Chasen stopped fighting, listening to Bright’s words intently, “I’m going to need your help, so I need you alive. I’m going to get you a lawyer because I need you in Claremont, where you can start to remember things I can use.” Bright’s hands tightened to bruising levels on Chasen’s arms, “You work for me now. Together, we are going to stop Alexandre.” 

Bright felt Chasen’s muscles slacken. Cautiously, Bright began shifting off of him. Nodding to the other men, Bright watched as Gil led Chasen into police van waiting outside. 

He and Marcus looked at each other, both steading themselves for the task at hand. Wordlessly, they turned to go tell Jess and Eric what happened. 

They found Jess sitting next to Eric, as close as she could without touching him. Knife at her side, she raised it when she heard the door start to open, relaxing when Bright announced himself. 

He and Marcus moved into the room, Jess rising quickly. Swallowing tears, she nodded towards Eric, “I put his silencing headphones on max when the screaming started.”

Bright nodded in greeting at Eric, who had turned to look at what was happening when Jess moved. Humming loudly to himself, Eric rocked back and forth distressed, glancing at Jess whose pain seemed to fill the room despite her best efforts. He pulled his earphones off to listen. 

“Dani’s ok. Kind of,” Getting straight to the point, Bright hurried to explain. “She fell down a full flight of stairs unconscious. But that might have actually helped. She fell kind of boneless. Last update that I have, she’s was in critical condition. They were still assessing her and running tests when we got here. JT and Peter are at the hospital.”

A choked, relieved sob drove from Jess’ chest into Bright’s, the sound causing the room to fill with static as he struggled to breathe. He watched as though through an opaque film as Marcus rushed forward to hug Jess, a firm hand dropping to squeeze Eric’s shoulder. Everything was catching up to him. Doing his breathing exercises, his vision swam slightly. It was all too much, but like all the times before, there was too much to do in the moment to succumb.

Opening his eyes, he found Eric standing right in front of him. Wordlessly, Eric passed Bright his headphones, flipping on the switch to block out sounds. He tapped his ear to indicate Bright should put them on. Beginning to hum a lullaby, Eric grabbed his sketch pad and simply walked out of the room. The message was clear. Time to go to the hospital. 

\----------------------------

For the second time that week, Bright waited for word on Dani’s condition in the lobby of a hospital room. _I don’t like this pattern._ This time though, as Bright surveyed the lobby, it wasn’t just the four of them. Peter, Bright, JT, and Gil were joined by Marcus, Jess, and Eric. _A merging of worlds._ Despite the gravity of the situation, despite the fear lurking in his gut, the nightmare scenarios playing in his head, there was something about that- the merging - that gave him hope. 

Peter hung up his cell, ending whatever whispered conversation he had been having. _Alexandre?_ Bitterness followed the thought, as Bright watched Peter walk towards him. 

Peter, sensing the knife’s edge Bright seemed to be on, swerved to head towards Gil. Chuckling darkly, Bright stood to join as the others descended with him.

“Initial forensics report is in,” Peter explained, “Since it’s a classified facility, FBI is officially taking over.” He turned to Bright, “I’ve slotted your name in as a consultant and told the brass to bite me. My task force has too much political clout for the BAU to give me trouble.” 

“BAU?” Jess asked trying to keep up.

“The division that houses all the profilers,” Bright explained. He nodded for Peter to continue, resentment lowering slightly. 

“There are early indicators Keller had assistance. Surveillance feed identified multiple individuals in GenTechLabs coats with unusual looking bags that could hold animals. They were intermixed with the crowd evacuating from the fire alarms. We’re scanning their faces in our databases but –”

“Likely some of the animal rights extremists,” JT finished for him, arms resting on his knees, head bent slightly. He peered up at Peter, “Explosions?” 

“They think flashbangs embedded in walls, hidden in planters, etc. No injuries… outside of Dani. The elderly man who fell is fine. The facility lost every single animal in any unclassified area. It was a heavily coordinated extraction as it were.”

“The mall job…” Bright huffed. 

“Huh?” JT looked at Bright, while Gil’s eyebrow rose. Jess and Marcus looked at each other, shocked at Bright’s reference.

Bright ran a hand through his hair, “Doesn’t matter.” 

“I’m a bit confused,” Jess pipped up, moving the conversation along, “You said he’s been working there a while and it’s a classified facility. How did he get around everywhere to do everything? Why didn’t he steal all this earlier?” 

Peter shrugged, “We’re still figuring it out.” 

Bright looked at Marcus, “How would you do it? As a professional thief?”

Jess immediately put a restraining hand on Marcus’ arm, as he scanned Bright for any indication of judgement, snideness, or anything else that could give him the excuse to blow up, anxiety about Dani making Marcus’ adrenaline flow. 

Seeing nothing but seriousness and shadows, Marcus gave him the rundown of how he’d plan the op, “The explosives would be easy. Loading docks are busy - easier place to bypass security. Steal a maintenance outfit, copy an access card, and you can put them wherever you want with no one the wiser. Same with the fake guns.” He turned to Peter, “You’ll probably find maintenance orders for vent repairs and small construction that no one remembers making. Paperwork will be perfect. It’ll even have budget assigned to it. Probably got the blood out the same way.” 

Marcus’ voice slowed thinking it through, “He’d have to be careful that the people who saw him as a lawyer didn’t see him as a maintenance worker. Night shift for the maintenance portion.” He turned to Bright, voice clipped, professional, “Explain the timeline.” 

Bright immediately complied, “He’s been taking pictures for 6 months, likely in between jobs. Keith Stone was killed a little over two weeks by Chasen. He stopped coming onsite after that. Well, we weren’t looking for maintenance staff, but he stopped coming onsite as the ethics scientist the night he killed Keith Stone. The last pictures of Dani were also two weeks ago. Probably spent a week finishing his planning before leaving the fake body of Dani’s father for us to find.” 

“No,” Jess and Marcus spoke simultaneously and with a confidence that took Dani’s law enforcement team by surprise. 

Jess turned to Marcus, indicating he should go first, “I’m retired. You explain.” 

Marcus crossed his arms considering, “This sort of op takes a year or more to plan. He had the details set before he ever took a single picture of Dani. Killing Keith is the only thing not planned out. Something happened between the assault on Keith and this past week when he began executing the job. That’s a week unaccounted for in terms of what Chasen was doing.” 

“The gift!” Bright jumped up, taken aback, “I can’t believe I completely forgot about the gift. What’s in it?” 

JT answered, “By the time lockdown lifted and we were trying to find your crazy asses, SWAT had arrived. We found the gift, confirmed no booby traps, and took it in as evidence.” He nodded to Peter, “We’ll give it to you all, now that you’re taking over.” 

“Yes, but what’s in it?” Bright reiterated. 

JT pulled out his phone, “I’ll find out. I moved on to try and find you and…” JT trailed off slightly, clearing his throat, “Dani. SWAT actually took it into custody.” 

The pacing began again, Jess moving from one end of the lobby to the next, Marcus mirroring her in the opposite direction. Eric sketched the scene silently, sitting next to Gil. Bright leaned back against the wall, exhaustion in every fiber of his being. He hated waiting. Hated not being busy. Hated not being able to keep his mind from drifting. Despite everything in him wanting to find the doctors working on Dani and confirm they were doing a good job, despite everything in him wanting to hunt Alexandre down, he simply had to wait to see what happened next.

A wave of heat suddenly flushed his body and the world in front of him spun. The panic attack that had been chasing him since they took Keller into custody, roared back with force. Bright scrunched his eyes in response, trying to block it all out. His nerve endings dancing in response to the stress hormones and adrenaline. He decided movement might actually help and, standing, he hobbled to the window overlooking the hospital grounds. Leaning against the glass, he let the coldness seep into his skin. His leg spasmed, hand trembled, and breathing hitched. 

Bright focused on the trees, trying to see every leaf, every individual branch, and every nuance of color, hoping a moment of mindfulness would help push the panic attack back down again. The heat receded and his breathing began to hit normal levels when he shifted his gaze to the cars. 

Reality bent as he brought his shaking hand to the wall to keep from completely collapsing. Dani’s body, crumpled and broken, lay between two cars.

He knew it was a hallucination. He knew it wasn’t real. But it had been. _It could be the last time I ever see her._ The logical part of him knew that was catastrophic thinking. The logical part of him knew that if she had sustained intense internal injuries, the initial assessment would have been more dire. 

But all he saw was the world crashing down around her body. 

Firm hands settled on his shoulders, warm and comforting. Solid. 

_Gil._

Gil held a small piece of candy over his shoulder, “The nurses station has a whole bowl full. Thought you could use one.” 

Bright caught Gil’s gaze in the window’s reflection, smiling sadly. Closing his eyes again, stimming his hand, he took a deep breath, focusing on the weight of Gil’s hands on his shoulders. 

He looked again where Dani’s body had been. She was gone. Taking the candy, he focused on the flavor to ground himself, settling on the other side of Gil, opposite of Eric, to wait. 

Fifteen more minutes of staring at the clock, willing time to move faster, for the doctor to come back and tell them she’s ok. Instead, JT hurried back, scanning the room, “No news?” 

Gil shook his head in the negative, “What did you find out?” 

“A couple of things. Hard drives have the formula and some recent experiment results. The timestamp says that Professor Garcia entered the findings last week.” 

Bright’s eyebrows rose, “The missing week. He was waiting for the results to get processed. Why?” 

“Because if he puts the results on the black market first, it’ll drive up the asking price of the formula. He’d make a killing,” Marcus explained. 

JT nodded, eyeing Marcus up and down. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to say more in the presence of known criminals. A look from Gil made him change his mind, “The gift had a couple sheets of paper. It’s actually just names and account numbers. We ran a couple to see who they were…” JT shifted on his feet unsure of how to feel about what he was about to say, “They’re known local money launderers. Operate out of New York City. Almost all of them are suspected of working with organized crime. I mean we got the –” 

It was like a gun shot rang out, the reactions from Peter, Gil, Jess, and Marcus were immediate and profound. 

“Jesus,” Half swear, half prayer, Jess’ eyes filled with tears. Voice trembling, she added, “Marcus? Gil?”

Gil jumped out of his seat, startling Eric but too excited to care. Grabbing his abdomen, he winced slightly, “The Genoveses?” 

JT looked at Bright wondering what he was missing. Bright shrugged, having no clue. “Uh, yeah, I think they were on the list.” 

Peter and Gil looked at each other in amazement. Gil’s voice, commanding, cut through the room, “Peter, we need to move on the intel immediately. Start tracking finances. Collecting evidence. No arrests. Small group of analysts only. Classify it like the others. We build out a picture of the network and bring them down all at once.” 

Peter nodded excited, hand running down his face in shock, “Agreed. We decimate the New York branch.” 

“Isn’t this some sort of game?” JT asked getting annoyed at once again being left out. 

“Yes, but it’s a game we want Chasen to win,” Gil’s statement made Bright’s eyebrows rise to his hairline. Gil turned to Marcus, “Alexandre cannot know about this.” 

Marcus, face unreadable, eyes darkened with some unnamed emotion. Gil reached over, putting both of his hands affectionately on Marcus’ shoulders, much like he had done with Bright, “I know. But we can do this.” 

Marcus considered Gil for a moment, then nodded. The breath no one realized they were holding released.

Gil looked longingly at the entrance to the ICU where Dani was being assessed. Gil steadied himself, “She’d want us on this, Peter. Immediately.” 

Peter sighed knowing he was right, “Agreed. Let’s go.” 

JT and Bright were floored. Looking at each other, they had the same thought. _What could be so important that Gil and Peter would leave before knowing if Dani was ok?_

It was another hour before a nurse sought to usher them into a side lobby to wait for the doctor. Like before, everyone’s heart stopped, fearing the worst, even as the nurse continued to reassure them this was procedure. Bright jammed his left hand to his pocket to keep everyone from seeing the shaking. Licking his lips, he began pacing, needing an outlet for his anxiety; Gil’s absence profoundly felt. Joining Marcus and Jess, the three pacers avoided collision as they each did their own version of a cross room odyssey. JT leaned back, trying to block everyone out, texting with Tally to keep calm. Eric rocked, singing a small lullaby to himself. 

Finally, Dani’s doctor arrived, gaining their immediate attention. Holding his hands up at the intensity of their gazes, he sought to reassure them before the questions began. 

“Detective Powell is going to be ok. She has several hairline fractures to her right arm and left leg, but they should heal without a cast. It’ll just take time. Likewise, her body sustained quite a bit of deep bruising, several nerve bursas, bruised ribs, and multiple bone bruises from the fall but there was no other internal damage. The most serious issue is a severe concussion and some swelling along the spine. She should be fine, but we need to keep her for a couple days for observation.”

“Is she awake?” Jess asked, voice trembling with a mix of relief and excess adrenaline. 

“Yes, lights are on low and she’s a little confused. Her paperwork lists a Lieutenant Arroyo as medical power of attorney. Is he here?”

“No, but I’m next of kin along with her brothers,” Jess responded quickly, arms crossed, hugging herself. 

“Detective Powell began refusing pain medication when she woke up. We’re trying to negotiate with her a lowered, shortened regime but she seems hesitant. Perhaps we can discuss that with you privately while the others go in?” 

Jess hummed an agreement, staying behind as a nurse led the others to see Dani. 

Practically running, Bright focused in on the room numbers, searching for Dani’s. Flashes of Dani’s body crumpled on the ground haunted him out of the corner of his eyes as he navigated the hospital hallways. Every time he saw one his heart plummeted, anxiety and adrenalin spiking. The events of the year… this week… He needed time to come down and process to keep from breaking. And he would, as soon as he saw her. 

It was amazing then, that a man standing in the shadows beyond Dani’s room wearing a fedora caught his eye.

_Alexandre._

Coming to Dani’s room, Bright looked wistfully through the room’s window as the others piled in. Swallowing and stimming his left hand, he turned to confront Alexandre. Just a moment longer, then he could see her for himself.


	24. Burn the Board

“What are you doing here?” Hardness underlay every syllable as Bright took in Alexandre, leaning against the wall. 

“Protecting my equities,” Alexandre smiled, unphased. He nodded towards Dani’s room, “She’s awake. I’ve already spoken to her.” 

Bright’s blood curdled at the thought that Alexandre had been the first thing Dani saw when she woke up. Gaining his footing quickly, he wiped any response from his body. 

Alexandre continued on, “The safehouse is burned. I’ll set up a new one in order to uphold my end of the deal.” 

A single eyebrow rose at Alexandre’s admittance of the deal and the underlying message. _Alexandre’s not going anywhere. One blunt statement deserves another._

“A person continues interacting with an abuser for many reasons. One of which can be because the person has leverage over someone they care about. Where’s Michael?” 

Alexandre chuckled softly, “People use people. It’s the way of things. Even the so-called good guys. Peter did what Peter did because he could tell himself the story he needed to. NYPD and FBI, though…” Alexandre hummed, “They didn’t need to tell themselves a story. They knew exactly what this meant for the children. They just wanted wins… Much like Gil knew when he brought you in on that first case… What doors he was helping open by asking you to profile a copycat. He knew. And he deemed it worth it. The risk. The sacrifice. That you pay, not him. And you know he knew. And yet, here you are –” 

“--not going anywhere. I saw her in there. I’ve heard some of the stories. Cops talk, joke, share to decompress. Dani doesn’t talk much about her times undercover, but some of the unclassified ones are practically legend, and she’s still young. The time she went undercover at fashion week is one of my favorites.”

“Undercover work is simply a con. Ella is amazing at crime. She’s just a horrible criminal. It’s important to understand the distinction.”

Bright nodded, “She’s oriented to protect… And you found a way around that.” 

Alexandre’s smile unfurled, shining and trustworthy, “No. I found a way to use that. My little Krysas… I’ve always been a study of people. Understanding their histories, their nuances, imagining all the ways they could contribute…” Alexandre’s smile only grew, “I hear stories too. You play chess. In fact, you’re pretty highly ranked.” 

Bright smirked, “My own little obsession when I was at boarding school. I like playing masters. My father is the one that began my chess schooling.” _I’ve been up against worse than you._

Alexandre nodded, message received, “I hope we get to play each other in the future, Mr. Bright. It would be fairly engaging, I think. To see who ends up taking the queen.” 

Bright’s eyes flashed, “Or perhaps the queen just burns the board.” 

Alexandre tilted his head silently, ceding the point. He turned to leave, pausing for a moment, “Oh, Ella asked me for a favor a while back. John Watkins.” Bright stimmed his left hand in response, making Alexandre’s eyes twinkle delightfully, “He had a woman in his life. Not a lover. Not a friend. But there. A ghost. A religious ghost.” 

“Payment?” 

“Already negotiated,” Alexandre’s smile grew toothy. 

Frustration pricked his skin, “You lost one of your consistent revenue streams today.” 

Something about that statement softened Alexandre. His eyes grew warmer, gentle. His smile fell to more natural lines, “You have a lot to learn Mr. Bright. It’s recovered stolen property. The university and GenTechLabs will get it back and the study will go on. With notoriety.” 

Bright huffed, “Making the profit margin skyrocket even without the release of the experiment’s results.” 

“Yes. And Chasen now gets help. You may not believe that matters to me, but it does. It’s why I let Krysas go; well, of a sort. It’s important to understand who people are, what they can achieve, rather than remake them in your own image. You are not a murderer, Mr. Bright. I could tell that almost immediately. Sure, you’re capable of violence,” He waved a hand dismissively, “Perhaps even great violence. We all are, given the right combination of conditions. But at your natural state? No. Your father misread the signs, I think. You’re a chess master. Or you will be at least, one day. Given the right teacher.” 

Bright’s dark id danced closer to the surface, “You don’t know me like you think.” 

Alexandre nodded, “We’ll see.” Tipping his hat, he left. 

Jess emerged out of the shadows where she’d been listening. Solemn, she moved to stand next to Bright, where they both watched Alexandre disappear into the hospital crowds. 

“We’re all pretty damn good chess players you know, each in our own way. I once negotiated a Russian antiquities smuggler down from 3 million to 2. Alexandre was there but let me lead. I was 16.”

Bright looked at her startled. A hard, cunning smile he had never seen before flittered over her lips, “Hypothetically speaking of course. I’m law abiding now. My impression is you’re used to operating on your own. A lone agent. That’s not how this family works.” Her eyes tracked the last vestiges of Alexandre’s hat in the distance, “You want to rescue the knight and destroy the king, you damn well better understand that and include us.” She caught Bright’s eye and deliberately looked at Marcus through the window to Dani’s room, “All of us.” Softening slightly, she reached out to squeeze his arm, “And I hope you do. You’re a fun addition.” She winked, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go negotiate pain relief with one stubborn ass queen.” 

He chuckled self-consciously as she turned to go into Dani’s room. Looking over she shoulder, the joyful smile he’d grown fond of reemerged, “Welcome to the Island of Misfit Toys.” Tilting her head, she signaled for him to join. 

\--------------------------

Bright walked in, eyes trained on Dani, absorbing every part of her he could see. The lights were dimmed and he could tell she was having a slightly hard time following him as he walked in. She smiled; eyes watering as she tried to focus past the concussion. He scanned the room, looking for a place out of the way. Jess wasn’t having it. Motioning to a chair right by Dani’s head, Jess dared him to defy her silent command. 

Uneasy, feeling out of place in the crowded room, Bright made his way to the chair, turning it so his back was to the wall and he could face everyone. Being in close quarters when his PTSD was on high alert was usually something he tried to avoid. 

His stressed smile softened into the real thing as he sat, Dani turning her face to greet him, “Hey, how are you feeling?” 

Her voice was scratchy and slightly garbled when she responded, “Fine. Which is why I’m right and Jess is wrong.” 

Jess rolled her eyes dramatically, “First, you are still high as a kite from the initial triaging. So, your ‘fine’ is actually a point for me. I’m all for you being careful, but the doctor’s argument is sound. If you are in so much pain you aren’t sleeping or you start shifting constantly, your recovery will take even longer.” 

Dani turned to look from Bright to Jess, taking a moment when the movement made her sick, “Some things are worse than pain.” 

Jess smiled sadly, leaned down and dropped a soft kiss on Dani’s forehead right over the bandage, “I know.” She sighed comically, eliciting some of the first genuine chuckles from the crowd, “Ok, I won the last big argument, you can win this one. I’ll talk to the doctor about flooding your system with anti-inflammatories and try and get a referral to someone who’ll get creative with us about pain control.”

“Thanks,” Dani slurred slightly.

Jess waved her thanks off, hitching a hip onto the bed, and snuggled lightly into Dani’s side. As Bright was learning, Jess’ carefree demeanor hid a very astute woman. He watched Jess take in the same signs he had, her eyes ticking over Dani comprehensively and with fear still lurking in their depths. They had all come close to their worst-case scenario today. 

“JT?” Jess turned to her gaze to the detective standing slightly off to the side from the group.

“Uh, yeah?” JT asked. Bright was startled to realize that JT seemed uncomfortable. He had been so absorbed drinking Dani in, he’d completely failed to see it. 

Jess had though, “I hear rumors there are some amazing undercover stories of Dani that we weren’t a part of. What’s your favorite?” 

JT’s eyes lit up, “Well, there was this one-time Dani and I went undercover at this specialty water tour cruise business. In one week, we had a dog rescue cruise, a drag queen competition, and some weird ass clowns. But my favorite was the amateur singing night. Our prime suspect worked on the boat with us. By the end of the week, he had a massive crush on Dani and he thought he could sing. Spent the entire night trying to serenade her with really bad opera. Dani decided to use it and…”

Bright let JT’s voice drift off into the background, using the opportunity to try and calm his nerves. He startled himself when he felt Dani’s smooth skin and pulse under his fingertips. He’d reached out without realizing it. 

Blush creeping up his neck, he began to pull away when Dani quickly twisted her wrist. Grabbing his fingers with her own, she maneuvered so they were threaded together, resting on her bed, under her blanket, out of the gaze of everyone else. 

He considered the moment. This was not a small, temporary gesture of comfort. She was choosing to hold to his hand, a soft smile gracing her features as she attempted to follow JT’s story but not quite succeeding. 

There was a moment, poignant in its destruction, where something terrified inside him said to let go. But a stronger force, basking in the presence that was Dani, made him stay.

Remembering all the times he’d wished he could just hold someone’s hand and not have them pull away, he watched quietly as Dani pulled his hand a little closer and tightened her fingers a little more.   
He pondered if she would do this if she wasn’t a little doped up, a little out of it. _Probably not._ But, thinking to their conversations this past week and the album, he now equally weighed the possibility that she wouldn’t because she was afraid, not because she didn’t want to. _That would make all the difference in the world._

They stayed like that as JT and Jess took turns keeping the room entertained, keeping everyone’s mind in the present verses obsessing over what-ifs. Eventually, the nurse came back in to let everyone know visiting hours were ending and they’d need to leave. Casually, Bright pulled out his phone texting one-handed, not willing to let Dani go. Smirking slightly at the response he received, he looked up as everyone reluctantly began preparing to leave. 

“Eric,” Jess said, “We need to leave soon, ok?” 

“No,” completely matter of fact, Eric shook his head, gently holding Dani’s ankle, “Lost Michael. Not Dani.” 

Before anyone could respond, Bright piped up, “He won’t need to leave.” At everyone’s look, Bright’s smirk widened, “I pointed my mother towards the Director of the hospital.” He looked at Dani, “You’ll be moved to a private room.” 

Dani’s eyebrows rose, uncertain in her confusion if she was pleased or annoyed with his presumption. Without thinking, she replied, “I can’t afford that.” 

Bright’s eyebrow rose, “The room is in The Douglas Milton Wing.”

“Who?” Marcus asked. 

“Bright’s hot, dead uncle,” Dani’s head swam a bit when she attempted to sit up, feeling like she should be paying more attention to everything but unable to quite focus. 

“There’s a whole thing called an electronic hospital bed, Dani,” Jess intoned, moving to make sure she could easily reach the switch. Turning to Bright, she added, “What she means is, thank you for your generosity. If they allow overnight visitors, both Eric and I will stay.” Jess gently nudged Eric, “We need to grab our things and they need to move her. We’ll come right back. Let me know when you’re ready.” 

“Speaking of going,” JT pointed out the door, “Going to check in with the boss.” 

Panic began to filter through Dani’s thoughts, slow like molasses but finally catching up. Her heart monitor spiked, “Alexandre was here but Gil wasn’t. Gil –”

“– is ok. I promise. Gil and Peter had to deal with Chasen’s arrest,” Bright said, stretching the truth somewhat until Dani’s concussion lessened, “Gil is going to come as soon as he can.” 

Mollified for the moment, Dani squeezed Bright’s hand where she continued to cling to it under the blanket. 

The work of Jessica Whitly apparently successful, the nurse came back in to explain the transfer to a different room. JT squeezed Dani’s other ankle on his way out; Jess and Eric following after assurances they’d be back soon. 

Marcus pushed himself off the wall where he had been reclining. Leaning over, he gently kissed Dani’s forehead. Bright and Marcus tensed at the same time. Bright at seeing the kiss only a foot from his face; Marcus as he finally noticed Bright had been holding her hand this whole time. Locking eyes, tension palpable, they nodded to each other somberly. Neither could quite say what the nod meant, but they did know, ultimately, they were on the same team. With that, Marcus left. 

Squeezing Dani’s hand to get her attention, Bright spoke measuredly, watching her monitors for subtle signs of lying, “Dani, Chasen said something today. Something about Michael.” A small spike in her pulse told him she was paying attention, “We can talk about the details when you’re feeling better, but Dani…where’s Michael?” 

Eyes darting from the monitors to her face, Bright searched for the answer. 

Dani’s only response was a small tear falling from her eye. His heart broke. Nodding, with suspicions confirmed, he opened his mouth to change the subject. _We’ll talk about it later._

Suddenly, Dani’s heart rate jumped further. Speaking with difficulty but firmly, Dani interrupted, “It’s none of your business.” 

Bright felt like cold water had been thrown in his face. Shocked at her tone, he listened in disbelief as she continued, “Besides, you have your own family disfunction to deal with. To the point where you had to get external help to even have your family listen to you.” 

It took a second to realize Dani’s hand was still clutching his, squeezing hard, while her unfocused eyes stared at him beseechingly. Bright’s eyebrows furrowed. _Weirdly phrased… fundamentally odd thing to focus on given the plethora of insults she could have levied given my family is, well, my family. What does she mean getting external help to listen to me? External help for listening…_

In a moment, it clicked. Alexandre had been in here before anyone else. _She’s worried he’s bugged the room._

Slightly impressed now she logically put that together with a concussion, he rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, “Work partners only. Got it.” _We’ll debrief later._

Her fingers tightened on his, distress starting to flit across her face. Bright realized she was having trouble telling if he understood her. 

He stood, shaking his head quietly when it looked like she was going to speak. It wasn’t often he needed to reassure his friend, let alone reassure his own insecurities about how she might feel. 

Eyes gentling, he pulled her hand softly to his lips. Kissing the back reverently, he closed his eyes at the sensation. Opening them, he smiled at the what the monitors told him. Her soft smile simply confirming the hypothesis.


	25. When the Tail Wags the Dog

**2 Weeks Later**

Dani was ecstatic as she walked into Bright’s loft after him. Out of the hospital for a week, she had just met with the pain specialist her doctor recommended. Bright had volunteered to come and help take notes and ask questions. The session laid out a plan to help control pain without narcotics, which Bright had obsessively researched himself as he struggled through sleepless nights, visions of Dani’s fall haunting his dreams. Both Dani and Bright deemed the visit successful, with Bright offering a celebratory lunch at his place. 

Dani sat at Bright’s counter while he made them grilled cheese, the two strategizing various ways she could meaningfully participate in cases from the precinct. The hairline fractures meant field work would have to wait; however, with most of her injuries being soft tissue damage, Dani hoped a better pain regime would facilitate a faster return to desk duty and participating with cases through research. Bright agreed, subtly trying to work into the conversation the need to go slow to let the fractures truly heal. 

Sandwiches made, they transitioned to the couch in comfortable silence. Bright reflected on the quiet as they ate. It was happening more frequently, simply spending time together, no purpose, no real conversation. Earlier in the week, to celebrate Dani’s release from the hospital, they had sat for several hours in a park reading in complete silence, drinking in the fresh air, while Eric sketched for a new freelance job. It was an odd intimacy, but an intimacy nonetheless. One he’d never really had before. 

Finishing up, Bright cleared his throat a little nervously, “I had the intelligence group redo the security in my loft last week while you were still in the hospital. There’s embedded anti-surveillance technology throughout now.”

Blinking at the sudden seriousness of the topic, Dani chewed her last bite thoughtfully, “That’s… useful.” 

He nodded, pushing the plates away. Angling his body towards her, he asked the question he’d been mulling over since his conversation with Alexandre, “In the hospital, when you were first admitted, Alexandre said you asked him for a favor. To help look into John Watkins?”

Dani pursed her lips, “So I did. Back when we first discovered the teacups and angels. I eh…” Dani sighed, turning to face him fully, deciding to just own up to everything, “So, I may have called Marcus when your DNA came back from the Eddie murder. I knew Alexandre would be able to get info to Peter pretty quickly on Endicott if he’d been involved. I also called Marcus after I brought Ainsley to the hospital. When you and JT were with Gil in his room. I asked him to look into John Watkins.” 

Dani scrunched her face, looking at Bright through her eyelashes, “I never said anything because, well, I never really planned on telling you or JT about Alexandre in the first place.” 

Bright sighed, knowing the truth already, but it still stung a bit to hear, “Can I ask why?” 

Dani shrugged, avoiding his eyes, “It’s messy. You both have lives to live. My mess never needed to add to the burden.” 

Bright nodded thoughtfully, “That’s usually what I tell myself whenever I start to get close to someone.” 

At that, Dani’s eyes flew to his, her mouth slightly open, “That’s stupid Bright. That’s saying you are the burden. You’re not a burden.” 

He smiled, taking her hand, “I would throw out there for consideration that whether you’re hiding your past or your present, you’re still hiding your story. So, it’s actually the same thing, if you think about it. Which, I mean,” his eyes twinkled good naturedly, “I totally get. But maybe it’s time we thought about getting past it, at least with each other?”

Her breath hitched softly at his touch. Squeezing her hand, he let it go, deciding he’d pushed hard enough for the day. Lightening his tone, Bright raised an eyebrow, “I seem to remember a conversation about helping each other out and letting each other into our lives. I also seem to remember a 12-step process for when one of us didn’t do that. Asking Alexandre was definitely before any said agreement, but I’m invoking my rights as an aggrieved party. Alexandre gave me a lead, but he also said he’d already negotiated payment. Can you tell me what he asked for?” 

Dani shook her head, lips falling into smile, “Wait, Alexandre mentioned the favor because he found something? And you never said anything? Kettle meet pot.” 

They locked eyes for a moment before dissolving into chuckles. Bright’s smile shone, “We are not good at this.” 

“Nope,” Dani laughed. 

“Ok, let’s try this again,” Bright lifted a hand, pointing to himself, “Alexandre told me there was a religious woman more reminiscent of a ghost in John Watkin’s life. I asked the analysts to look into it.” He gestured for her turn. 

Dani nodded, “That’s a good lead. Female, religious… more than we had before. If he says that’s all he got, that really is all he had. He takes business transactions seriously. The payment is Gil approving a small undercover job. Marcus is going to provide Peter some information once I get cleared for field duty. Gil’s used your presence as an excuse to keep our docket full and counter Peter a bit. I’m supposed to tell Gil to back off for this one.” Dani leaned back against the cushions, “Whoever the target is must be a real pain.” At Bright’s curious gaze, she clarified, “Alexandre’s Russian accent came out when he told me.” 

Bright nodded thoughtfully, adding that to his profile. Mimicking her posture, he leaned against the cushions, facing her, stretching his arm out behind her, “If it’s official, I can make an argument to join the undercover work.” 

Eyebrow furrowing, Dani cautioned him, “Peter usually blocks partners. Gil is normally regulated to the van in a support role.”

Bright smirked slightly, eyes losing their laughter, “We’ll see.” Looking around his apartment meaningfully he added, “Since we know my loft isn’t bugged, at some point, maybe when I have more of your trust, can you tell me about Michael and Alexandre?” 

Dani leaned forward, her hand grabbing Bright’s where it lay against the back of the cushion. Her eyes turned dark, intense, “It’s not a matter of trust. It’s dangerous as hell and I didn’t think anyone other than Gil would choose to take that on.” She leaned back considering him with unreadable eyes, “Are you sure you really want to know?” 

“I’ve already said I’m in. I’ve been clear. Are you willing?” 

The muscles in her body seemed to melt as she leaned against his arm, “It’s a long story. I’ll start from the beginning.” 

\------------------------------------

“So, you know how I came to know Alexandre,” Dani waved one hand dismissively. “I met him when I was 6 or 7, got two or three years of great training then went to live with my dad.” She sighed deeply, squaring her shoulders, “But I also got everyone else involved with Alexandre. Once Chasen disappeared, and we went to live with my dad, Marcus and Jess were still there. Left behind. They were still working with Alexandre.”

“It took a long time for us to settle in with my dad; a longer time for Marcus and Jess to realize it was safe at my new place. However, my dad figured out there was some sort of adult behind his delinquent kids and their delinquent friends’ oddly formal knowledge of thievery pretty quickly. I mean,” Dani gave Bright the side eye, “When I first went to my dad’s, I could crack simplistic safes but I only had the very basics of reading. The issue wasn’t subtle.” 

Dani leaned back and rubbed her hands against her thighs, shoulders hiking up a bit, “My dad was a dad first. He’d spent a long time looking for us, and now was pretty much focused on trying to help us heal. My grandma too. They weren’t stupid; they knew something was shady. But they also knew if they pushed us, we’d run. Eventually, when Michael and I felt safe enough, we told my dad about Alexandre. He wasn’t shocked Alexandre existed…He was shocked the mysterious adult was a known master thief and money launderer.”

Bright nodded, absorbing the news. When he remained silent Dani continued, “My dad simply asked us to keep him informed if we ever came into contact with Alexandre again. He worried about Marcus and Jess. He and my grandma… They offered to let them move in with us.” 

Dani smile was pained, “Bright we had a small, 800 square foot apartment with five people already and were living paycheck to paycheck. They both meant it. They wanted two more mouths to feed, two more kids with trauma and attitudes and… just because we loved them… just because it was the right thing to do.” 

A tear escaped her eye and Bright felt his own well up. Dani choked back her emotions as she continued, “That’s who I could have lived my entire life with. That sort of people. Instead, I got my mom and Alexandre.” 

Dani cleared her throat, gathering her thoughts, “What I didn’t know at the time is that my dad told his partner. Asked for Peter’s help.” She shrugged, pursing her lips, “I would have done the same thing; I’d have gone to you, JT, or Gil. My dad didn’t want to make a move against Alexandre if Jess and Marcus would be in danger. Peter respected that boundary. They were trying to figure out a plan when my dad died of a heart attack.” 

Dani paused and looked to the heavens, shaking her head a bit, “A criminal mastermind and the thing that killed my dad was a heart attack.” She took a shaky breath, “My grandma died a year later. Suddenly, Michael, Eric, and I were alone again. Michael and I moved in with Peter. He offered us a free place to stay while we focused on trying to pay for college and, to give him credit, he worked his tail off to get Eric into a great residential program.” 

Anger caused Bright’s eyes to glisten, not willing to give Peter an inch, “It also gave him direct access to sources – civilians - who could help him get Alexandre. A collar who would cement his career in the NYPD.”

“Ah, but then two important things happened,” Dani looked at Bright, “I joined the Academy at 21 and was no longer a civilian, and Michael… Michael made a mistake… of sorts. He was getting reckless in his grief. Drinking, gambling, stuff like that. Marcus was also teaching him things he learned from Alexandre on the side.” She held up a single index finger. “I was not aware of that when we were dating,” she clarified.

“Michael was walking home one night from a club and he saw a girl getting a beat down. Michael jumped in; beat the shit out of the guys. Turns out, the boyfriend and goons were part of the Genovese crime family. Again,” Dani rolled her eyes shaking her head, swallowing hard, “what is with my family and randomly coming across crazy ass criminals?” 

“I hate to tell you this, but your partner’s dad is the most notorious serial killer since Jack the Ripper,” Bright gently teased, acknowledging the morbid humor of it all. 

Dani took a moment to center herself, her brown eyes deepening with pain, “All the sudden, we had decisions to make. It wasn’t enough that Michael get out of town. The Genoveses have contacts everywhere, including in law enforcement. I needed him safe, which I means I needed clout… The kind of clout people like the Genoveses would respect. And I only knew one person who could pull that off.”

“Alexandre.”

Dani nodded, “We went to Alexandre. But I was a cop now so I asked – Uncle Peter – what I should do. He offered to come with me.” 

A sigh reverberated from Dani, filled with pain, frustration, and acceptance, as she finished her story, “Peter jumped in almost immediately. I hadn’t realized he really knew who Alexandre was. I had just positioned him as an old contact of my mom’s. Peter had the deal all worked out in his mind though. Alexandre would take Michael abroad – Europe – and keep him protected. In return, Peter would offer Marcus, Michael, and Alexandre CI status. Marcus would handle US operations; Michael would be a CI in Europe for a joint task force with Interpol. Alexandre gets to operate his business with a certain level of freedom from law enforcement. As long as Alexandre feeds Peter with information on high-visibility, violent perps, then senior leaders are willing to look the other way. Alexandre asked that everything remain highly classified. Peter almost immediately agreed. He thought Alexandre was worried his CI status would get out and ruin his business. But…” 

Dani’s brown eyes deepened, anger and reluctant respect coloring her words, “Alexandre is smarter than they are. Peter takes the bad guys down, getting promotions and awards. He gets to tell himself he saved Michael and is making the world a better place. But Alexandre… Alexandre gets to use Peter, the NYPD, and eventually the FBI to remove competition. Brass is now glad everything’s classified. Alexandre steals and moves products that are highly specialized, which means they’re usually stolen from the powerful and wealthy. He anticipated political pressure for an arrest could ruin the deal eventually, but now no one knows who to blame except a select few. Alexandre’s business has grown exponentially.”

Dani griped her hands together hard, “That was why I was so concerned about Michael finding out about Chasen. He and Marcus are able to talk about business fairly frequently. When Marcus kept redirecting security to the safehouse, Michael figured it out. Threatened to come back to the U.S. to help protect me. The Genoveses are still a threat. That could’ve been disastrous.” 

Dani suddenly laughed sharply, “Peter, Alexandre, even the brass… Everyone is happy… except Michael never wanted to be a criminal. He’s stuck. Away from me and Eric, where he just has to sit and hope we are ok… And Alexandre had one other condition.” 

Bright closed his eyes, pained, “You.” 

“Yep, Alexandre demanded I be the only one allowed to work with Marcus as part of the deal,” She gave Bright a look, voice dripping with sarcasm, “For security purposes of course. I started getting pulled in for undercover work even as a uni. Alexandre insisted on training me again in the guise of planning the ops. We kept being successful, and eventually Major Crimes started becoming involved, even though the details were usually classified. Gil figured out portions of the story over time. I was lead detective on a narcotics case that ended up being big.” Dani squirmed slightly before adding, “Before the… you know.”

Bright nodded, trying to encourage her with a soft, non-judgmental smile. Her emotions spoke louder than she likely intended through her body language, and he desperately tried to ignore it, tried to take Gil’s repeated advice to heart. _Be a friend. Not a profiler._

Dani scanned his face, then continued on, “That case finally let me work with Gil completely separate from anything having to do with Peter and Alexandre. I told him everything. He tried to get me to liaison on more cases. He was building up the argument for me to go work with him, when my bosses sent me undercover with Haitians. Peter was my handler. It was my first long term undercover position. I was shocked Alexandre and Peter allowed it except…” She leaned forward a bit, “I think they agreed because they didn’t want Gil around me anymore.” 

Bright tilted his head in small agreement, “That would fit the profiles.” He nudged her slightly with his shoulder, affection warming his voice, “They just didn’t have a good sense of how important you were becoming to him.” 

Dani let herself press slightly further into his side in reaction, “Well, it backfired. It was actually the fallout from the overdose that gave Gil the internal leverage he needed to tell Peter to shove it and bring me under him fully. Peter just moved on to the FBI and started using the task force to partner with Major Crimes so he’d still have access to me.” 

Dani rocked herself a bit, her voice distant, “At least Gil is involved now. It’s not just Peter and Alexandre sending me into the dark alone anymore.” 

The desire to bring Dani close engulfed him. Of their own volition, his arms moved around her, leaning her against his chest. They sat in silence; Bright processing the story, Dani trying to gather herself. 

“How did Jess get out?”

Dani threaded her fingers through Bright’s as they rested around her waist. She smiled, a sad, sweet one, “Michael. His one condition was Jess. She hated everything about being a criminal, and she’s a horrible thief. But she’s amazing at negotiations and even better leverage over Marcus. Michael was always pretty talented at negotiations as well. Michael asked for Jess’ freedom. He’d take over any negotiations and do the European jobs. She gets to just live life with me and Eric.”

Bright felt the tears he had been trying to hold back escape, “He sounds like your dad.” 

“Yeah, I’m really proud of him. No matter what Alexandre is making him do; I’m really, really proud of him. I tell him every time Eric and I can talk to him.” Dani tilted her head towards Bright, laying it fully on his shoulder, “That was my condition. The safe house. A place that’s ours. No business ever. Just us. We all video chat with Michael for several hours once a month. We can’t know specifics, but…” Dani trailed off, and he tightened his arms around her. 

She hesitantly added a thought, nervous at his reaction, “Once a new safehouse is established, you could come with, if you wanted. No pressure though. I know it’s a lot.”

Tenderness swelled within his chest and Bright closed his eyes against the light of it. He bent so his cheek rested against the crown of her head, “I’d love to go with. And…fortunately, I have someone who wants in on my life too.” He nuzzled his nose into her curls, breathing her in, “I get the feeling that’s going to make a big difference. But then, I do have a reputation as an incurable optimist.” 

Dani chuckled softly before falling into a comfortable silence against his chest. She could feel a slight hesitation in his muscles as he absentmindedly began stroking her arm with his thumb. She settled in, determined to wait him out, breathing in the same mixture of cologne and scent she had found so comforting during her panic attack. 

Eventually, his voice, faltering slightly, sounded quietly in her ear, “He’s in Europe. Michael?” 

Dani hummed her yes, trying not to divert his line of thought. His body was taut even as he began to mold himself around her further. 

“My family has a villa in France.” 

Dani tensed, though she couldn’t resist a small eye roll. _Of course, you do._

“The firm I’m using to help me with Ainsley has a strong European operation.” 

Dani twisted, keeping close to his chest, not wanting to break contact but needing to see his eyes. Her chest clenched at the tenderness and determination radiating out of them. 

“I don’t have a plan yet. But like I said, I really want to meet Michael. And…and I think it’s time he came home.” 

Dani couldn’t have moved if she tried. She had gone so long trying to keep hope alive and, at the same time, daring not to hope that she often felt bifurcated, ripped into two realities. 

“Dani, we need to do this carefully. It’ll take time, planning, resources, strategy. It’s going to be a game of 3D chess against Alexandre and he won’t hesitate to use criminals or law enforcement to stop us. But…”

Bright’s voice dropped into something dangerous, causing her stomach to tighten and small fluttering in her chest. It was a tone she hadn’t heard from him before and it immediately brought her eyes to his lips. He adjusted his arms slightly, reaching up to run his thumb across her cheekbone, “I think we can take Alexandre out.” 

She tore her gaze from his lips back to his eyes. She couldn’t even begin to understand the storm of emotions his words evoked in her. 

Leaning forward, Dani brushed her lips against his jaw. This time it was his turn to freeze, to hold his breath. She skimmed her lips gently up, planting a small kiss high on his cheek. Tenderly, she reached up to cup his jaw, brushing a feather of a kiss over each eye in turn, and gently nuzzling her nose against his. Small tremors started radiating across Bright’s body in response. 

Suddenly, a sense of giddy euphoria swept through her as his words from the safe house pulsed in her veins. _I want to be on your side. Not Peter’s, definitely not Alexandre’s, not even Gil’s… yours._

Dani twisted quickly so she was straddling his hips, ignoring the pain the sudden movement brought. Bright’s arms immediately fell to her waist, even as his eyes popped open, widening in almost comical disbelief at the sight of Dani mere inches away.

A breathless, husky laugh escaped from her as a sensual smile stretched across her face. Rolling her weight slightly forward so their chests pressed together, she became acutely aware of everywhere their bodies touched. She could feel Bright’s pulse racing under her hands, see his pupils dilating. She licked her lips. 

Then the increased shaking of his left hand against her waist penetrated her arousal. 

She could definitely feel his desire; his body telling the story for him even as he kept silent. But his left hand tremored on, even as she felt his right tighten to hold her close.

A seed of doubt took root in her mind. That she had misunderstood when he had reached for her. That his offer had been made out of simple friendship, and not some very Bright way of communicating his commitment. Tendrils of old humiliations and rejections straightened her spine slightly causing her to begin to pull back. _He doesn’t –_

“I want you!” Bright cut off her thoughts, his hair falling into his eyes as he jerked forward to keep their chests pressed together. Whatever she had shown on her face, he was desperate to rectify it, “I just… this is… you’re you. This is different. With you it’ll be more…”

He trailed off, his own doubts swallowing his words. 

Reassured, Dani brushed his hair out of his eyes, “I get that. You’re you… to me too.” Dopey grins spread across their faces breaking the charged atmosphere, “Maybe, we take it a bit slow?” A sudden sharp, pain coursed down her back, “For several reasons.” 

At her sharp intake of breath, Bright’s hand began rubbing small circles at her lower back. He smiled, gently brushing a curl out of her face. Dropping a kiss to her forehead in agreement, they moved to lay back on the couch intertwined, simply holding each other.

Suddenly, Dani lifted her head, causing him to crane is his neck slightly so they could see each other, “How much of this did you guess?” 

Bright’s blue eyes twinkled, “About 80%. Michael was the gap.” 

A long-suffering sigh emerged from near his neck, “Show off.”


	26. Practice makes Partnership

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays! Happy New Year! And Happy Almost Season 2! 😊

**Two Weeks Later**

Bright hummed quietly as Dani snuggled further into his arms. Still getting used to the idea he could hold her, they leaned into each other as they watched a documentary. Not remotely interested in the content, Bright simply used the time to learn the feel of Dani’s body against his own. They still hadn’t slept together, the commitment to going slow, to learning about each other, holding true. He trailed his fingertip down her arm, reveling in both the sense of possibilities and comfort the small action gave him. 

Glancing down, Bright felt warmth flood his chest as Dani stared at the TV, a soft smile gracing her lips. _My smile._ He moved his hand up to her hair. Slowly, brushing his fingers along her scalp, he took care not to tangle the curls together. The first time he played with Dani’s hair just a couple of days ago was an awkward fiasco. Unused to curly hair, he hadn’t realized that if he actually ran his fingers through the hair itself, he’d tangle up in the curls and simply start pulling. He chuckled softly to himself. Dani’s hair had ended up looking like a bird’s nest, and it had brought more discomfort than comfort. _Scalp massages though…_ He smiled in victory at her small, contented sigh.

He’d never really taken it slow enough with a significant other for the awkward moments in a new relationship to play out. Thinking back to Eve, Bright had systematically orchestrated a whirlwind romance, hoping the pace and extravagantness would make up for the windows into his trauma. 

Dani refused to play that game though. Both because of her personality and because she was still sore and healing from her ordeal, Dani’s desire and ability to do extravagant dates was limited, and it was forcing him into new relationship territory every day. Bright mentally reminded himself he had an appointment tomorrow with the attachment therapist Gabriella had recommended. 

“Are you actually watching this?” Dani’s soft question reached his ears. 

“No, but I’m still enjoying myself immensely,” Bright dropped a small kiss to the top of her head. 

Dani smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners as she turned slightly to peer up at him, “Good, because I’m also enjoying myself but getting hungry.” Her stomach seconded the notion, emitting a loud rumbling noise that made Dani’s cheeks flush and both burst out laughing. 

They ambled up, relaxation in each movement. It was rare experience for both of them - that a moment of connection with another person lowered anxiety rather than increased it. 

Dani sat on the first stool at Bright’s kitchen island, watching him chop and dice, his fingers an orchestra of small movements. Her mind began wandering to slightly inappropriate places, and Dani decided the best course of action was a distraction, “Are you going to eat any of that?” 

Tone lacking any judgement, Bright didn’t take offence, “I might manage a few bites.” 

“Can I ask a question?” 

Hesitating slightly in his movements, tension started to crawl back into his shoulders, “Shoot.” 

Dani watched as Bright diligently looked at the vegetables in front of him, noting how his energy was shifting. Pushing back second guesses, she plowed on, “You said once that most food makes you sick. Is it because of all the medication or something else?” Quickly wanting to mitigate any offence, Dani rambled to explain, “I just ask because my Grandma passed of cancer. It was fast, and she only did a couple chemo treatments, but there was a porridge I learned to make that was tasty but also really easy on her digestive system. I just thought….” 

Dani trailed off beginning to play with her rings when Bright stopped chopping to stare at her. “Maybe I could make it for you one day and it won’t… be…bad,” Dani’s mouth twisted into a slight grimace at her own awkwardness. 

Bright opened his mouth to respond, knife still in hand, when he stopped and seemed to consider something. Coming to some sort of conclusion, he reached out to squeeze Dani’s fiddling fingers, “I’d love that. Maybe next time? But,” he paused, wanting to phrase his thoughts well, “I’ve had people occasionally over the years feel like they needed to help, to fix things about me that were broken. They couldn’t and would get frustrated and disappear. I…I don’t want you to get frustrated with me and disappear.” 

Dani quickly tangled her fingers into his, holding tight where she could, “They were jerks and I have zero desire to fix you. We’re supposed to have each other’s backs. If you hate it, fine. If it makes you sick, apparently that’s status quo. If it helps, then I’ll make a big batch and you can freeze it for whenever you want.” She paused, “Wait. You have zero Tupperware don’t you.” 

This time Bright’s cheeks flushed, “Uh, no.” 

Dani rolled her eyes, “You can use mine if you like it.” 

New relationship territory apparently navigated for the time being, Bright focused on cooking Dani a vegetable stir fry, slightly proud of how he handled the exchange. 

\-------------------------

**Two Weeks Later**

The tension radiated off him in waves, filling the car until it seemed to choke out all the air. Adolpho simply drove on. 

Case work was slow, and Dani was still not cleared for field duty, so Gil had given them permission to spend the week sorting through his files on Ainsley and cross-referencing names and locations with the stack of files the company had delivered on John Watkin’s very few associates. _Associates being a generous term._

The intelligence analysts hadn’t identified anyone with on-going interactions with the Junk Yard Killer, not that Bright had expected them to. However, once Malcolm passed along Alexandre’s intel, a breakthrough occurred. 

The analysts found that his father previously had regular contact with a nurse who later left the hospital to work at a boarding school. That nurse went to the same small church as John’s grandmother. 

In the aftermath of Dr. Whitly’s arrest, his mother had hired the woman to watch Ainsley while she tried to keep Malcolm from spiraling further and dealt with the trial. Malcolm had only vague memories of her. She had washed her background of any connection to Dr. Whitly, gaining unfettered access to Ainsley for several years. 

_Dr. Whitley._

Tension morphed into rage. 

Pulling up in front of Rikers, Malcolm signed in to see his father. Electronics weren’t allowed in the holding cell, so Malcolm glanced down at his phone before checking it in. A text from Dani greeted him.

> New case. 

He nodded to himself. Good. Phone locked away, he moved to the search area. Subjecting himself to a pat down, the slow processing allowed him to gather his thoughts. Usually, he tried not to see his father when this upset. Malcolm knew his emotionality allowed his father to find vulnerabilities with even more ease and lowered his own ability to fend him off.

Dr. Whitly’s lawyers were petitioning to have him transferred back to Claremont. With Endicott’s fingerprints behind his initial transfer to Rikers, it seemed like the judge may agree with the move back. Malcolm weighed the cost benefits of such a development as he entered the public visitor’s cell. Other prisoners and their visitors clamored all around him, while he waited for Dr. Whitly to be brought in. Claremont would give him the privacy needed to truly engage his father. It would also put Dr. Whitly in the same location as Chasen. Fear rippled down his spine at the thought of his father gaining access to someone that broken and with that much of an obsession with Dani. _Rikers it is. I’ll draft a victim statement for the judge. See if that sways him._

Malcolm watched as a guard shuffled his father into the cell. Head up, back erect, it was clear the fear of his initial welcoming to Rikers was gone. _He’s found a protector. Someone who likens himself an alpha, but able to be controlled._ Malcolm cocked his head. _Or negotiated with._ He considered his father’s medical skills and their value behind bars. 

Malcolm watched as his father’s eyes both lit up at the sight of him and drunk in his anger. 

“My boy,” Dr. Whitly smiled with anticipation, “You seem upset. Is it your sister? Is she speaking yet?”

“Dr. Whitly, let’s talk about Karen Anderson.” 

The Surgeon sat back in his chair, a sly smile spreading across his face, “Let’s.” 

\------------------------

Bright stalked into the precinct, legs eating up floor as he moved with purpose. Officers instinctually got out of the way of his cold gaze. 

He looked over at Dani, who was watching the spectacle silently. Jerking his head in a nod, he went straight into the conference room to stand in the back as Dani and JT rose to join. 

Bright tried to focus on Gil, taking notes, nodding and humming when appropriate, but his gut churned with the impact of his father’s words.

Gil’s voice, calling his name, drew him back to the present, “Bright.” 

“Yes?” Bright looked around, slightly sheepish at being caught completely off guard during a briefing. His eyes darted to Dani who, while straight faced, looked at him with concern. He turned his attention back to Gil, “Sorry, you were saying?” 

Gil shifted, hands moving to his hips, slight worry coloring his voice as he took him in, “Dani’s not cleared yet so she’s going to be going through some cold cases that may be related. You’re with JT. Interview suspects.” 

Bright nodded, annoyance with himself layering on top of his fury and hurt with his father. Fervor, undirected and in need of an outlet, seemed to crackle within his veins. He tried to shove the feeling back down until he could deal with it later as the others began gathering their notes. 

JT left to go check out a police car, Dani hung back, waiting until Gil also left. Her eyes roved over him, taking in the picture before her. _Jaw clenched, face muscles taut, movements jerky, spine stiff. He saw his father and didn’t tell me._

Cautious rather than angry, and aware they were at work, Dani opened her mouth to see if he wanted her to grab him tea before he left. A small gesture she thought he’d understand the layered meaning behind. 

“You’re not a profiler so just stop,” Bright voice, clipped and impatient, cut her off. 

Taken aback, Dani’s eyebrows rose to her hairline, “Excuse me?” 

Bright rested his hands on the table, leaning forward slightly, mock friendliness to his voice, “If you want me to teach you about advanced body language profiling, I will. You’re not good at it. Stop.” A smile that set her teeth on edge marred his face.

Dani felt her body go numb with a strange mixture of humiliation and anger, “Fuck you.” With that, she turned for the case room. 

\-------------------

Dani lay in bed staring at the blankness of the ceiling, letting the whoosh of the ceiling fan lull her. Frustration with herself burned. Sighing, she grabbed her phone – 1 AM. No texts. No calls. _Fuck him._

Hitting her fists on her bed, she rolled over to her side, burrowing into the pillow and bringing her comforter over her head like a small cocoon. Usually, the warmth eventually got her to sleep. She reached over again - 1:45 AM. Flipping on Audible, she put on an old book she had listened to a million times, trying to focus on the soothing voice of the narrator. When the warmth didn’t work, this often helped. 

Her body jerked, mind racing. Defeat welled up as she realized she had probably started to doze off but her mind betrayed her. 

Giving up, she stood to make herself some Chamomile tea and grabbed her journal. Maybe if she contemplated her internal world a bit, she could process enough that she’d get to sleep. Grabbing her phone, she checked it again. 2:30 AM. No texts. No calls. _Fuck him._

It wasn’t that she was waiting by the phone. Well, she was, but just because everyone was always by their phones now. It wasn’t that she was waiting by the phone for him. 

Curling up on her favorite spot on her couch, tea made, she poised her pen over the journal. She had mentioned journaling once off handedly during a case in which journaling played a prominent role. She had commented that she had an entire ritual around picking out her journal – with some self-deprecation mixed in – and had wondered if the vic had rituals as well. Later, after the case had been solved, she found a small collection of beautiful pens on her desk. Bright had just shrugged, tilting his head down, and throwing her a smile. The kind of smile that always made her stomach swoop. 

_Fuck him._

She stared at the pen in her hand. They were the only pens she used for journaling now. She had half a mind to grab a different one, but couldn’t make herself do it. 

As the words flowed out, she started getting a better sense of why she had been pushed off center by Bright so thoroughly today. He had been completely out of line, yes. He owed her an apology, yes.

But it was the fact he hadn’t contacted her yet that was ringing her internal alarm bells. He got snappish sometimes, but usually rectified it almost immediately. The last time he’d treated her with any sort of aggravation with no immediate apology was… _When he was dating Eve._

When it came to fight or flight responses, if it pertained to a personal relationship, she had a very big flight response – often taking off after the first big fight. _He has to know that or at least suspect it. He’s Bright._

> Does he want me to take off? 

She considered the thought as she wrote it. It rang a bit true but not really.

> Like a test? 

No, that didn’t settle right in her gut.

> He’s caught in a self-fulfilling prophecy? 

That made her pause. Biting her lip, she wrote her conclusion.

> He needs to tell me why he does this sometimes. When he was dating Eve, it was like I suddenly walked into work and found a stranger…

She paused and added,

> A mean stranger. It hurt. A lot.

Dani sighed, dreading the implications of the thought that immediately followed.

> And we never talked about it or even mentioned it given everything that’s happened. 

A part of her wanted to just let it go. Not dive into the relational deep-end by trying to have a heart-to-heart. Eve’s death, Ainsley, the last couple of weeks… so many reasons to just pretend, to avoid… A lot of people would say that’s reasonable, and … She bit her lip. It would also be her normal pattern.

> The fact I’m spending a lot of time behind my desk probably isn’t helping. It’s hard watching them dive in without me. Probably stupid and it’s not true, but it feels like… they’ll realize they can get rid of me and move on. Last time he acted like this, Bright kept suggesting tasks for me that made it feel like he was pushing me aside. That’s not really what happened here, but maybe I’m a little sensitive? 

She paused, leaning back, snuggling further into the couch cushions as she weighed the question.

> No, he was a dick. Still, this is really bugging me. 

Her mom’s face, the last time they’d seen her, right before she left town without a word, swam to the forefront of her mind. Something in her immediately balked at the intrusion. _Not going there._

She quickly refocused. While she knew she tended to run, she hadn’t with Marcus. It might not have worked out, but they had tried – really tried. There was a lot of respect, trust, and – yes - love there. Even if the love no longer had romantic elements.

She wrapped her hands around the warmth of the mug, thinking it through. While not as much history as with Marcus, she had built a lot of foundation with Bright already in one year, and she was really hoping the romantic part would grow. But it was hard for her to trust and stuff like this… _It piles up…_

Ultimately, even though they had been dating only a couple of weeks…

> I don’t want to run. 

Having attended an NA meeting earlier in the week, Dani thought back to a woman who’d shared. She said she often made lists of “truths” to help her navigate her codependent tendencies. The idea appealed to the detective in Dani, as she took another sip of tea. _Nothing but the facts ma’am._

She decided to make a list:

> Fact One: He doesn’t get to treat me this way. 
> 
> Fact Two: I would like keep progressing in my relationship with Bright.
> 
> Fact Three: I’ve identified a pattern (asshole-ishness) and I would like an explanation. 
> 
> Fact Four: I also want an apology.
> 
> Fact Five: I also want to sleep. 
> 
> Fact Six: I can only control myself, not Bright. Once I speak to him, I need to figure out boundaries and next steps. See Fact One and Five. 

Feeling more centered, she checked her phone, 3 AM. A groan escaped her as she realized she had to be up in only a couple hours. She hadn’t seen Bright since the incident in the conference room, but Gil told her JT had checked in. Both he and Bright were scheduled for some early morning interviews with people Bright thought were interesting. Though technically still on desk duty, the team always made it a point to either stay late or get up early in solidarity with whomever was having to put in the long hours.

Deciding not to wait, she texted Bright:

> Can you text me when you’re up? Maybe we can talk about today…yesterday when we are done at work?

She startled at the immediate knock at her door. Hot water sloshing over the side of her mug, she put her tea down hard, shaking the water off her hand. _Bright?_

Incredulous, Dani hurried over to look out her peephole. Bright stood, body warped by the glass, pacing slightly in front of her door.

Unlocking the door, she opened it wide, taking in the sight before her. 

Still in his suit, he was fairly disheveled, jacket thrown over his arm, dress shirt out, tie loosened. His normally impeccable clothes were wrinkled everywhere and in odd ways.

They stared at each other for a second in silence. Bright’s mouth opened and closed like he wanted to say something, while Dani was still processing the fact that he was outside her apartment at 3 in the morning. Turning her body slightly, she gave the nonverbal ok for him to come inside. 

He walked in, right hand running through his hair, while the left shook violently. She took in the paleness of his face; his eyes seemed like a blue lake frozen over. 

_Fear. Shame. Haunted._

Memories from the night she arrested Ainsley came to mind, suddenly making her wonder if he was here because something happened to his sister or mother. 

Before she could ask, Bright’s words tumbled out of him, tripping and running over each other, “God, I’m so sorry. I am so sorry. I do this, and I hate it, and I don’t know why, but I kind of do and I promise I’m working on it. And I’m just so sorry.” His voice paused, while his eyes moved constantly over her, like he was trying to memorize what she looked like before she disappeared. 

She slowly absorbed what he said, making a mental list to accompany her journal. 

_He’s been sitting in the hallway for a while._

_He believes I’m about to break up with him._

_He knows he was wrong and he really is sorry._

_He already knows this is a pattern._

The anger from today melted into a solemnity she felt deep in gut. _He looks like he’s teetering on the brink of a deep dark pit._ Silently, she reached out and took both of his hands. 

He followed her movements with his eyes, licking his lips in anxiety, desperate to figure out what he should be doing to fix this. Fix them. 

Instead, Dani shook her head to cut off the questions she could see on the tip of his tongue. Taking a step forward, she wrapped his arms around her waist and moved to embrace him, cupping his head, and holding on tight. 

She felt his entire body give way, sobs pouring out of him. Whatever had happened with his dad and the ensuing hours emptied out in a cathartic release. Clutching her like he had after his nightmare, she weathered the storm with him, never letting go. 

Eventually, as his breathing evened out, she decided on a course of action, “I’m going to bed. You’re coming with me so you can give me a scalp massage.” 

His body convulsed slightly in a wet laugh. 

Still holding his head to her, pressed up against him, she laid it out, “In the morning, you’re going to explain to me your theory as to why you are sometimes mean to me. Then, we’re going to talk boundaries that will help both of us. It’s not acceptable.” She felt his hair brush against hers rapidly as he nodded vigorously, face still pressed into her neck. 

She tightened her arms, “Then, you’re going to buy me coffee throughout the day because I’m pretty sure we need to be up in like 2 hours. You may be used to no sleep but I’m not.” She turned slightly to nuzzle the part of his head she could reach, “I mean the chocolate lattes with the chocolate whipped cream and the chocolate sprinkles type coffees.” A wet chuckle sounded from him again. 

“Finally, you and I are going on a date. Probably will be too tired for anything actually date-like, but I demand lots of cuddles.” 

“God yes,” Bright stammered, his first words since his apology. 

She leaned back slightly, still securely within his arms. Moving her hands to frame his face, she willed him to believe her, “And for the record, you and I are worth fighting for.”

Bright’s eyes closed, peaceful exhaustion pushing the sorrow from his body. He leaned his forehead against hers, “Agreed.” 

\--------------------

**1 Month Later**

Dani could feel the sweat on the back of her neck, and the flow of adrenaline make her nerves tingle. It was silly, to feel panicky right now, with them, about this. But she did.

Bright and JT were bonding. Glad to see it, she was nevertheless jumpy over the subject area – college. 

Sitting around the conference room table as they waited for Edrisa’s report on the murder they were investigating on Colombia’s campus, JT and Bright were exchanging stories. Though different in nature, given JT went to West Point and Bright went to Harvard, the antics college-aged boys got up to seemed to always have three elements – alcohol, friends who were bad influences, and a chance to get lucky. She could tell the stories were helping the two men see how alike they were when usually there was a world of differences. 

Dani bit her lip, trying to let Bright’s hands, waving as he spoke with them, calm her nerves. _Those hands._ Only two months into their relationship, they still hadn’t had sex. It was getting harder and harder to go slow though. 

They had taken to sleeping next to each other occasionally in the last month. After their “fight” of sorts, Bright spent the night massaging her scalp causing Dani to sleep deeply for about an hour and a half. Bright made the comment the morning after, a bit shyly, that he found the experience meditative. Now, when his insomnia was acting up, they curled up next to each other - her sleeping, him holding her, watching her, playing with her hair. He never actually fell to sleep, but she did find him less jumpy than he used to be during those times. He appreciated the opportunity to at least rest even if sleep still alluded him. 

Now, a month of having him next to her in bed, watching his hands brought a sense of comfort. The familiar heat coiling in her belly made her shift her gaze to find something else to distract herself yet again. It increasingly brought those feelings as well. 

JT took up the story now, regaling them of the time he and his fellow Cadets told the first year Plebes there was a secret society they had to join and sent them all on a crazy quest he and his friends made up as they went. Again, alcohol and a pretty Plebe were factoring in quite heavily. 

The panicky feeling increased as Dani sensed a lull in the conversation coming. Usually, whenever a topic came up that would reveal portions of her childhood, she’d find an excuse to leave before the pause hit. She'd gotten so good at it, people almost never realized they didn't know anything about her past. 

The fact was, Dani never really went to school; she also desperately tried to hide that fact. While she felt no shame per say, she was very familiar of the judgement leveled by others. But JT and Bright knew about her childhood - enough they wouldn’t be shocked by anything she had to say at least. The question was…

_Do I want to tell them?_

Hence the sweat beginning to crawl down her back. 

In the normal course of a group conversation, it would be her time to share. Sure enough, the silence arrived, and both men looked to Dani to fill it.

Bright, having been focusing heavily on JT and swimming in the novel experience of bonding, took in Dani as he shifted to hear her commentary. His smile faded slightly, as his eyes ticked down to where she was playing with her rings, tension in her shoulders. Quickly recognizing the signs, he started to change the topic when Dani began. 

“I actually had to work a couple of jobs to help keep us afloat once I got my GED. I did online school in between shifts.” 

Dani’s cheeks flushed slightly as her eyes darted to JT and Bright looking for judgement. Finding none, she continued on, “When we went to live with my dad and grandma, we were pretty behind on our education. But my grandma was a retired teacher so instead of trying to get into some alternative school, she decided to homeschool us and included Marcus and Jess once they started coming around.” 

Dani’s eyes deepened with the memory, her voice softening, “She was a great teacher. We’d never had to sit still for long periods before, and Michael,” Dani’s smile grew, “Michael was the biggest martyr about it. So, my grandma threw away the workbooks and stuff, and built her own curriculum. Taught us the same concepts, but we ended up doing things like scavenger hunts to learn geography and map reading, walked around looking at graffiti murals to talk about art, stuff like that. We were pretty unimpressed with poetry so my grandma had us write our own little plays focused on whatever we thought the meaning behind the poem might be. We’d act them out for my dad, grandma, and Uncle Peter when we were done.” Dani laughed slightly, “Jess loved the pretend drama, hamming it up. Marcus always wrote the best plays though. He really started to love poetry. My favorite was biology. She built a tiny little vegetable garden on our fire escape and taught us all about science using it.” 

Dani’s voice trailed off, lost in the memory of her grandma. A wave of longing washed over her, mixed with grief, and Dani caught herself, self-conscious. Without thinking, she glanced at Bright for reassurance. 

He winked at her subtly, eyes crinkling at the corners. Turning to JT, he shifted the conversation to give Dani some breathing space, “Experiential learning has been found to be the most effective form of teaching. Military is big on it as well correct?” 

JT leaned back in his chair, excited to tell more stories. Pointing to Dani, JT said, “That would have been the coolest school ever. Also, military is huge on it.” JT launched fully into his epics about various training exercises and his old buddies as Bright casually reached under the table to squeeze Dani’s hand. 

Relaxing, Dani squeezed back, content to listen. 

\---------------------

“Hey, you got a sec?” 

Dani leaned against Bright’s desk at the precinct, lips pursed slightly. Bright glanced up, nodding, and moved to join her in the conference room. 

“What’s up?”

Dani took a deep breath, “Alexandre got ahold of Peter, who is about to call Gil.” Bright tensed as she continued, “Marcus called me.” She waved her phone, still clutched in her hand, indicating a recent call, “They’ve set up a new safehouse. Gill needs to sign off to make sure I’m covered from a police standpoint. Marcus wants to take Eric and I there for the next couple weekends to get Eric used to it. I um,” She avoided Bright’s eyes, “I told Marcus you might come and we wouldn’t need a cot.” She rocked back on her heels, amusement starting to peek through, “It was like the most awkward call ever.” 

Bright smiled, feeling slightly giddy at the thought Dani was telling the people close to her about them – particularly Marcus. Glancing out at the bullpen through the conference room window, he checked his impulse to hug her, instead opting for, “I’d love to come. I can make sure to clear my schedule.” 

“What about Ainsley? You usually see her on Saturdays.” 

Bright shook his head, “That’s the beauty of consulting. I can set my own hours. I’ll go Mondays assuming no case.” Bright paused, glancing at the bullpen again, “I was going to tell you tonight privately, but Chasen was formally admitted to Claremont.” 

Dani glanced down at her feet then back at Bright, “I really don’t know how to feel about him. On one hand, the thought of seeing him makes me sick. On the other, he was my friend.” Taking a page from Bright she added, “Alexandre broke him.” 

“Reasons are not the same thing as excuses. There is a reason Chasen is what he is, but there is no excuse for hurting you. We can be compassionate while doling out consequences. You owe him nothing.”

She mulled the thought over, trying to find words for feelings she could barely describe, “Less a feeling of obligation and more…” She shrugged, words escaping her. 

Bright hesitated, debating something. 

“What?” Dani asked, thinking he had more to say about Chasen. 

Ignoring the bullpen, Bright took a step towards her, angling his body to block the fact he had taken her hand, “The judge didn’t listen to my victim statement. Dr. Whitly is going to Claremont as well.” 

“Bright…” Trailing off, unsure of what to say, fear dripped from her voice and she swayed slightly.

He rushed to try and soothe her concern, “I have a plan. I’m going to have Peter file a formal complaint about Chasen being co-located with Dr. Whitly. It won’t change that they are both going to be there, but the administration will be required to ensure the two men are 100% involved in different programming, down to having cells in different wings of the hospital. Our family has a lot of pull with the administration. Dr. Whitly will likely never even know Chasen exists.” _I also paid off basically every board member, staff member, and therapist, but my law enforcement girlfriend doesn’t need to know that._

Dani looked deeply into his eyes to see if he really believed that. Seeing a certain level of confidence, she swallowed hard, trying to focus on next steps, “I need to tell everyone when we go to the safehouse. Jess will probably join us for at least a couple of the weekends. You, uh, could finally meet Michael.” 

The lack of safehouse had been hard on Dani. It was her one way to talk to her brother. Bright knew how important it was, “I’d love to. Truly.” 

They smiled at each other wishing the potential audience gone. Taking a deep breath, she shook herself, refusing to let Chasen and Dr. Whitly ruin more moments. 

Slyly, she looked at him, drinking in the lines of his body, the beauty of his eyes, his fingers curled around hers, “Jess told me about a new jazz club. Good music; dance floor. You dance?”

Bright licked his lips in anticipation, “I’ve been known to.” 

Dani hummed with possibilities as she purposeful brushed him with her body on her way out of the conference room. She smiled in victory at the shaky groan lingering in the air behind her. 

\--------------------------------

**1 Month Later**

She felt Bright’s leg slip between hers as he pressed her more fully against his office door. Dani smiled against his lips, angling her hips slightly, she rose on her toes so she was semi-straddling the junction of his thigh and groin. Letting herself fall back onto her flat feet, she ground down into him. 

“Dani,” Bright growled quietly, moving from her lips to her neck, sucking hard on a spot he knew would make her whimper. Bringing one arm down, he hitched his forearm under her hips, helping her find the leverage to grind down again. 

Dani bit her lip hard to stop any noise from escaping, wishing there was a bed nearby and they had all night. Instead, they had maybe ten minutes before they had to join the others downstairs. _Make ‘em count._ Putting effort into it, she tried to find a small rhythm while pinned against the wall, enjoying the friction. She ran her fingers through his hair, pulling slightly, causing him to groan.

“Shush, they’ll hear us.” 

Making out like frantic teenagers was a new experience for both of them. One they were enjoying immensely. Neither one of them had much in the way of a normal adolescence, both confessing that the common rites of passage – make out sessions, sneaking out of the house, etc. – were not something they had experienced. Well, both had regularly snuck out of the house, but not for the normal reasons. And, while it’s not like they had planned on doing this, it was definitely fun. There was something about making out where a parental figure could catch them that had almost a sense of reclaiming what others had taken. Dani swallowed a sigh as Bright raised his head to kiss her deeply.

_And the sex was turning out to be pretty damn hot._

The dancing was what did it. They had lasted about a half hour on the dance floor before ending up back at his apartment – the one they could get to the fastest. They didn’t leave there all weekend, learning each other’s bodies, likes and dislikes. The discoveries ushered in a new phase. One Dani was loving, but she was also glad they had worked to get there. Their ability to communicate, to actually express their desires and emotions, was resulting in some of the best sex she’d ever had, hands down. _Speaking of…_

Dani reached a hand down between them and started trying to undo Bright’s belt. Leaning forward, she whispered into his ear, “If you’re good and stay quiet, I’ll give you a treat.” With that she ground down hard hitting them both at a particularly good angle. Endorphins flowing, warmth spreading, and a delightful tingling starting to turn into a deep throb, Dani dropped her head to his shoulder, breathing heavily, while Bright’s head went back and his neck tensed with the effort to keep silent. 

“Good job,” she cooed, as the hand in his hair left to scrape her nail gently but enticingly against the back of his neck, “Let’s get those pants off you.” 

Bright threw her a heavy-lidded look, eyes darting to the door. She could tell he was calculating how much time they had before Gil got suspicious. She smiled in response, “My jeans won’t wrinkle no matter what we are doing. But your pants will. The only responsible thing to do is –” 

A commotion sounded downstairs, causing Bright to drop Dani in surprise, her elbow accidently catching him right in the groin on the way down. 

Bright doubled over, one hand instinctually grabbing his crotch while the other reached for her, concerned. She shook her head, letting him know she was fine, “Eric.” 

Bright moaned and made a shewing motion with one hand. “Sorry babe!” She called out as she rushed out the office. 

Eric was downstairs keeping Gil company while Gil sorted through the paperwork required to add Bright to the list of people with official permission for going to the safehouse. Interim permission had already been granted, and they had spent the last couple weekends there. Now, Dani was trying to get Eric used to Bright’s apartment just as he was getting used to the new safehouse. The plan had touched Bright deeply. Not many people considered him and his home a safe haven. Dani did, and she made it clear she hoped her brother would as well. Gil being present was helpful. Eric loved Gil. _And, of course, Sunshine._

She took the stairs two at a time, hearing the distressed twittering of the bird, scanning for her brother. 

Dani took it in. Jessica Whitly, still in her coat and gloves, completely bewildered and taken aback. Eric’s sketchbook papers scattered near the front door under Sunshine’s cage. Her brother having a meltdown near Bright’s bed. Gil trying to calm Mrs. Whitly and Eric at the same time.

Dani knew instinctively what happened. Mrs. Whitly had walked right in, unannounced, expecting Bright. Instead, she probably knocked right into her brother who was drawing Sunshine next to the door taking them both by surprise. 

Mrs. Whitly whirled at the clammer on the stairs, real fear flashing across her face. Dani’s heart plummeted; Bright’s mom was just as touched by trauma as all of them. She quickly reassured her, “Eric can’t process surprises very well or being touched unexpectedly. He’s having a meltdown. I’ve got it. He won’t hurt you.” 

With that, Mrs. Whitly brought her hand to her throat truly upset, “No my dear, of course not. I’m so sorry. I hate that I scared him.”

Gil wrapped his arm around Jessica, “It was an accident. No one’s fault. Come on Jessica, let’s let Dani help her brother in privacy.” 

Jessica reached out to squeeze Dani’s arm as Gil led her away from the bed and into the living room. Gil, on the other hand, scanned Dani’s crumpled clothes, darted his eyes up the stairs where Bright had yet to manifest, and gave her a look. _Shoot. I forgot to fix my shirt and hair._ Dani flushed with embarrassment, hastily shifting her focus onto her brother. 

She switched off the lights near Bright’s bed and grabbed the headphones that had skidded across the floor. Putting them on the bed near Eric, she ignored her brother otherwise, letting him process as he needed to. Eric kept looking at Sunshine, mimicking her distress tweeting. She nodded in understanding and moved to calm the bird. Eric wanted her to make sure Sunshine was ok. 

Dani cocked her head, looking at the bird fluttering around her cage. _How do you calm a bird?_

“Everything ok?” 

Dani glanced up at the soft call. Bright stood at the top of the stairs, where only she could see him, fixing his clothing. “How do you calm a bird? It would help.” 

Clothing adjusted, Bright walked down the stairs, holding his legs a little stiffly. Dani smothered a smile. “I didn’t mean to knock you there,” she whispered. 

Bright threw her an affectionate smile and whispered back, “I know. It’s a sensitive area, and was even more sensitive when it happened. Just might take a couple more minutes.” She swallowed a giggle. _Sometimes being a girl is easier._

“Your mom’s here,” Dani responded as Bright started cooing softly to Sunshine. Bright paused mid-whistle and threw her a look. Glancing down at his pants, he said amused, “Yep, that definitely took care of the issue.” 

The giggle finally escaped, as Dani started to gently whistle at Sunshine with Bright. A couple seconds later, it seemed to be working. Sunshine stopped twittering and fluttering her wings but still seemed a bit nervous. “Would it help to let her out?” Dani asked. 

Just then Jessica’s voice carried over, “This is what you get for having a bird, Darling.” 

Bright’s face turned impish, “Let’s let her out.” 

Opening the cage, Sunshine flew out on the same air that carried his mother’s scandalized gasp. Dani chuckled, shaking her head as she walked quietly over to her brother, “Sunshine’s safe and happy now Eric.” Turning to Bright she asked, “Could you give us some time alone?” He nodded agreeably and went to join his mother and Gil in the living room. 

\-----------------------------------

Content, her brother followed Sunshine around the apartment, thrilled with all the new angles and settings he was getting to observe her in. Dani grabbed some tea from Bright and joined him on the couch facing Gil and Jessica. 

For a second, the look on Gil’s face made her wonder if he was about to voice his suspicions about what they were doing in the office to Jessica. She felt Bright tense next to him and realized he was worried about the same thing. Gil narrowed his eyes, his message clear. _No more shenanigans._

Relieved, Dani and Bright both nodded subtly as Jessica launched into why she was here.

“Your sister spoke this morning.” 

Bright jerked next to her in shock, “What? The hospital didn’t call me.” 

Jessica gave her son a look, “I’m her mother dear, they called me.” 

“But I paid them to call me first!” 

“Well, I paid them off too and obviously paid them better,” Jessica threw a triumphant look at her son who pouted slightly. Dani arched an eyebrow and looked at Gil who rolled his eyes. 

“What did she say Jess?” Gil asked. 

Jessica waved her hand dismissively, “Water. She wanted water. But she very clearly talked.” Jessica looked at Bright, her desperation creeping through, “But that’s good right?” 

“It’s huge, Mother. This is a great breakthrough. I’ll head to the hospital in the morning,” Bright reassured her, watching the tension fall from his mother’s shoulders. Jessica looked at the ground and then back at her son hopefully, nodding. 

Bright decided to add his own good news, “Gil was able to get the financial records for Karen Anderson. Dani is good with financial intelligence. She’s analyzing the data looking for patterns.” 

Jessica smiled gratefully at them both, “We should celebrate.” Bright immediately rose to grab a bottle of Champagne from the wine fridge he kept as part of his bar set.

Jessica turned to Dani feeling like she needed to make some sort of amends for earlier, “Malcolm asked for our place in the Hamptons for a weekend getaway. You are welcome to bring Eric and anyone else there, Detective Powell.” 

Dani appreciated the thoughtfulness, even though she had nothing to make up for, “Thank you Ms. Whitly. Please, it’s Dani.”

Jessica nodded kindly as Bright passed around a set of flutes. He began pouring for a toast, “Mother’s agreed to let me redo the security systems at our properties, much like I had mine done here. The company is doing the Hamptons this week before we arrive. Then her house, Ainsley’s, and finally our family vacation properties. I believe they’re starting with Europe.” He caught Dani’s eye, “I was hoping we could talk about taking a longer vacation together when we’re at the Hamptons. Speaking of Europe, you’ve never been correct?”

Dani felt her entire body jolt with anticipation, while Jessica’s face shown with pleasure at her son suggesting time away from work, “I haven’t, and I would love that.” 

Gil huffed, playing along, “If you two are going to start publicly vacationing together, I have HR paperwork you both need to sign.” He looked affectionately at Jessica who began insisting her son take Dani to their French property when the lavender fields were in bloom. Only the seriousness in his eyes let on that he understood the true ramifications of the conversation. 

Champagne poured, Gil held his flute aloft, “A toast to new beginnings and healing.” 

Dani smiled, leaning into Bright as they toasted. 

\-----------------

**At the Hamptons**

Malcolm watched Dani dance on top of him, primal and elegant all at once, moonlight streaming in from the windows, dappling her skin. All he could think was the phrase: worshipped as a deity, found in the stars. Stripped bare and naked, she moved in tandem with him, strong and soft, fully herself. He wouldn’t want her any other way. 

Suddenly, he flipped her over so she lay beneath him, laughing. Smiling softly, she took a moment to cup his cheek, flushed and anticipating. Seeing mischief in his eyes, her body sang in response. Back arching, she breathed his name in encouragement, “Malcolm.” His eyes darkened at the intimacy, a kaleidoscope of complexity and nuance. She wouldn’t want him any other way.

Wrapping her arms around her partner, they began to move together again, freely given and freely taken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for coming on this journey with me!! Your comments and kudos and just fun energy very much made this possible. What a lovely fandom you all are. 😊 With the two now officially together, and their lives starting to integrate, it’s time to take on Alexandre and the Genoveses. See you again soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Outside taking a lot of liberties with Dani’s past, all characters belong to Fox.


End file.
